Editorial: Political largesse looks even worse in cost-of-living crisis

Welcome to Queensland in an election year, where blowing your own trumpet and being seen to do things are now part of a politician’s job, writes the editor.

It used to be all a politician needed was a hard hat, a high-vis jacket and some equipment in the background and there you had it – a low-cost and classic photo opportunity.

These days, it seems you need a couple of taxpayer-funded jets and a statewide whistlestop tour – all documented by taxpayer-funded photographers and media staffers.

Or how about splashing nearly $154,000 on a pointless cost-of-living inquiry, which ends up pretty much telling the government to just keep doing what it’s already doing?

Welcome to Queensland in an election year, where endlessly blowing your own trumpet and being seen to do things – anything, including inquiries that go nowhere – are apparently now part of the job description for our elected leaders.

Yesterday, Premier Steven Miles found himself, yet again, having to defend the use of two jets to fly himself and Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski around the state for five days in April to publicise the government’s latest plans for cracking down on crime.

As we have said here before, there is no issue with the Premier of the day using taxpayer jets to tour the state promoting government policy. It is a big state, and using chartered jets ensures an effective use of the Premier’s precious time.

But this particular expedition was so clearly a ridiculously expensive political stunt that it stands out for its incredible brazenness.

As we reported yesterday, flight manifestos the Opposition obtained via a Right to Information request reveal that only one jet would have been required had just one or two of the staff members who tagged along on the tour – where two private planes basically followed each other around the state for five continuous days – flown commercial instead.

Premier Steven Miles prior to estimates on Tuesday. Picture: Annette Dew

How much did it cost? We still don’t know. All Premier Miles will say is the travel was covered by existing budgets, and, in any event, the travel arrangements were made by the relevant bureaucrats. In other words: “Don’t blame me.”

But why did nobody in the touring party – some of whom the Premier was keen to point out yesterday had media experience – not stop and suggest this was a terrible look for politicians in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis?

Why did nobody ask, “Do we really need two planes?”

Sadly, we fear that after almost a decade in power, the right to a jet is now just assumed – and so why should a couple of staffers have to fly commercial when there’s a couple of executive jets on tap?

We also wonder why nobody in the Premier’s orbit – on another occasion – spent even a second on basic what-if thinking when Mr Miles announced the state’s cost-of-living inquiry during the most recent surge in public anger at alleged supermarket price gouging.

There were already a couple of similar inquiries under way at the federal level – where all of the power to oversee supermarket behaviour lies. A state-level inquiry, with six public hearings – two of them in regional cities – was never going to turn up much by way of new ideas, except perhaps for recommending the appointment of a farmers’ commissioner to represent growers and producers.

Nevertheless, the Premier has defended his special inquiry as a “very valuable use of time” – which is possibly correct if your aim was to convince voters the government was doing something about the cost-of-living crisis, while, in reality not doing much at all except hold a few meetings. Bravo.

But that is, after all, the definition of a classic media stunt – something that catches passing attention but has little of substance behind it.

Sadly, for as long as politicians are in office and have access to the public purse we will keep seeing more of them – from both sides.

GABBA CONFESSION NEEDS EXPLANATION

That the much-repeated $1bn cost for the now-shelved rebuild of the Gabba – the centrepiece of former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Olympics bid – was simply, totally, just made up, boggles the mind.

What sort of operation was Ms Palaszczuk presiding over where such a significant piece of public infrastructure was costed literally by someone sticking their thumb in the air? It is extraordinary.

And it is deeply troubling, as it points to an administration where all normal government processes had broken down; where the usual professional advice of the state’s public service was clearly being totally ignored – or not sought – by a government that gave no hoots about misleading Queenslanders.

The man who is now Premier, Steven Miles, was then deputy premier – and the minister responsible for the Gabba redevelopment. This revelation yesterday in a state parliamentary estimates hearing from his hand-picked director-general is not something Mr Miles should be allowed to just walk away from.

What else have taxpayers been openly misled about? How can we have confidence in any costs this government shares with us? This is an extraordinary revelation.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here