Editorial: Political damage done despite rent cap rethink

In the space of a week, the Premier rapidly walked back her proposal for a rental price cap after pretty well everybody warned such a blunt instrument could actually make the housing crisis worse. But the political damage has been done, writes the Editor.

Why does it seem this state is being run on a whim – with policy and decisions apparently being made on the run, rather than through proper process and governance that helps ensure the right outcome.

Take the plans for a much-needed government response to soaring rental prices.

Last Monday, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced she was “very seriously” considering the introduction of a cap on rental prices – a thought-bubble response that led to our front page headline “Dunce’s Cap” after pretty well everybody warned that such a blunt instrument could actually make the housing crisis worse.

The Premier quietly walked back that proposal, and will on Tuesday unveil a much more measured response – to limit rent increases to once a year.

But the political damage has been done, and the headline could have been avoided.

Or how about the much-needed proposal to extend the South East Queensland CityTrain commuter rail network to Caloundra, Kawana and Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk holds a media conference at Q Build where prefabricated homes are under construction as the housing crisis continues. Picture: NewsWire/Sarah Marshall

When we reported yesterday on fears the plan had fallen off the agenda, Transport Minister Mark Bailey instructed his office to make an early morning phone call to the reporter complaining that no such thing had happened, and the project were still very much on track.

But then just hours later, the Premier indicated the government could be looking to prioritise other Games-related projects, saying only that “well, we’re going to look at it” – not exactly a ringing endorsement.

Yes, there is a study being done into its viability, but the issue is that the Premier and the Minister do not appear in lock-step on a significant piece of transport infrastructure that has been seriously talked about for more than a decade. Heck, it has even been allocated billions in funding in several federal budgets.

For another example, we only need to rewind to last Tuesday night, when the Premier’s office told The Courier-Mail of plans to go thirds with the federal government and the University of Queensland in a $132m world-first Paralympic training hub/centre of excellence at the university’s St Lucia campus.

Transport Minister Minister Mark Bailey. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

Again, a great idea, but not only had nobody thought to ask the federal government before the announcement if it was up for making its $44m contribution, nobody had properly looked at the artist’s impression of the building, which had as its bold architectural centrepiece a steep spiral staircase.

Now, the university explained the staircase was actually in an adjoining building to be constructed at the same time as the Paralympics centre, but if proper processes were being followed it would have been noticed.

Got an Olympics Legacy Forum on tomorrow?

Rush through plans to announce a new Paralympics Centre.

Asked at a press conference about the impact of soaring rents on the housing crisis?

Respond in the moment by floating a dangerous plan to intervene in the market.

It all seems a pretty loose way to govern.

WORST-KEPT SECRET OF 2032 GAMES HAS BEEN EXPOSED

The embarrassing backdown on Monday when Australian Olympic Committee boss Matt Carroll was forced to denounce his own comments just hours earlier that all the Gabba needs before 2032 is “a coat of paint” has lifted the veil – again – on the worst-kept secret of these Games.

That secret is that the 2032 Games will in no way be the cost-neutral event the International Olympic Committee would have the world believe.

The IOC is desperate to back in its so-called “New Norms” for future Games – built around the concept of the event being held in venues that are already built or would have happened anyway.

That was the point Mr Carroll was trying to make yesterday when he said the $2.7bn Gabba rebuild would be of benefit only to the AFL and cricket. But of course the Gabba is actually only being rebuilt because the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies and athletics events will be held there. That is the reality.

And so Mr Carroll is actually back to front. Without the Games, all AFL and cricket could hope for over the next decade are a few minor refurbishments to the Gabba.

The demands of the Olympics are what has led to the massive rebuild. That is not to say it is necessarily the wrong decision.

But it is to say that Mr Carroll was definitely trying it on