Kylie Lang: Premier’s small thinking no good for Qld’s big picture

Steven Miles should be ashamed of his small thinking when business heavyweights, Olympic greats and cultural visionaries can all see what’s needed, writes Kylie Lang. If the big picture is beyond him, he should defer to those who get it.

Steven Miles might be proud to be a dad from the suburbs – and there’s nothing wrong with that – but he should be ashamed of small thinking. And if the big picture is beyond him, then for heaven’s sake defer to those who get it.

Business heavyweights, Olympic greats and cultural visionaries can all see what’s needed, with the whip-smart Li Cunxin, former artistic director of Queensland Ballet, and Sydney 2000 Olympics guru Rod McGeoch the latest to call for enlightened leadership.

Mr Li tells The Courier-Mail today we need to end political fighting and build “something truly spectacular”, while Mr McGeogh said on Thursday the key to Sydney’s success was strong “impartial” leadership while partnering with private enterprise to help foot the bill.

Common sense abounds – except at One William Street.

Let me say this again: The Games go beyond October. They are not linked to the cost-of-living crisis.

The number of voices arguing against the Premier’s plans for the 2032 Games is growing. Picture: David Clark

They can, and must, be executed with world-class precision, not some embarrassing nod to the 1980s when Brisbane was considered a backwater.

It falls to whoever holds the office of Premier to set aside self-interest – a certain polling result in seven months – to do what’s best for Queensland going forward.

I lived through the 1980s – the decade of Wham!, big hair and even bigger shoulder pads – and see no reason to return.

Back then, we did our best to stick it to Sydney and Melbourne but more often than not we made excuses, albeit quietly to ourselves, saying, “well, it’s not bad for Brisbane”.

I recall being dragged to musicals, concerts and the theatre by my mother and leaving underwhelmed.

Li Cunxin, former artistic director of Queensland Ballet, is the latest to call for vision. Picture – David Kelly

Restaurants, with a few exceptions, were dire, the river was for ignoring, and if you wanted to “make something of yourself” you moved south or overseas.

Sure, you invariably returned but not until you’d experienced somewhere more exciting.

Using the performing arts as an example, it wasn’t until I travelled to London and New York as a young adult, scrimping to buy the worst seats in the house, that it became clear what excellence was.

Dancers’ kicklines were high and exact, singers hit the big notes and musicians played in tune, always.

While Queensland artists were no doubt doing the best they could at the time, with the support structures and funding available to them, it is fair to say ours was not a world stage.

The latter part of the eighties brought two shining lights – the Queensland Performing Arts Complex and Expo ’88, both of which have delivered exceptional legacies.

Layered on top have been consistent efforts to elevate the state’s cultural profile and today, the capital holds its own.

Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre, Mount Gravatt, the Premier’s preferred venue for the athletics at the 2032 Games.

This is evidenced not only in positive reviews from internationally respected critics but also in homegrown talent landing lead roles in touring productions out of the US.

Artists are increasingly nourished here and we’re getting better at attracting and retaining them.

Brisbane might not be Broadway by every single indicator but it is not an embarrassment.

The Olympics and Paralympic Games can carry this progress forward – or stymie it.

Valuable years have already been wasted as the event was turned into a vanity project by former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The gormless Steven Miles has delayed things further, dismissing independent review findings including that the only bang-for-buck option is a new stadium at Victoria Park.

Instead, he favours piecemeal makeovers of tired stadiums in far-flung locations that will end up costing the same and won’t be big enough to accommodate the volume of spectators in 2032, let alone into the future.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has also come up short. Picture: Richard Walker

Disappointingly, Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has also come up short, failing to commit to Victoria Park or building anything new while promising yet another review into Games infrastructure should he be victorious in October.

Hosting the Games is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that should never be reduced to a political pawn.

Rod McGeogh says Sydney had only seven years to ready itself for the Games, so Brisbane still has time.

Perhaps, but it all hinges on strong, big-picture leadership.

We don’t care whether the Premier is a dad from the suburbs or a cane farmer’s son who happens to be a father from the Gold Coast.

Just get the job done.

Kylie Lang is Associate Editor of The Courier-Mail
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