Mike O’Connor: Even one of Ray Martin’s dinosaurs like me can spot bad government in Qld

While every Tom, Ray and Harry has been banging on about the Voice referendum, the Palaszczuk government has been quietly excelling itself – not, writes Mike O’Connor.

It was left to an anonymous punter interviewed in the street by a TV reporter last week to say what many of us must be thinking.

Asked for his take on the referendum, he said, “Mate, to be honest I’m sick and tired of hearing about it.”

Amen to that. Five more days of torment to endure and what then?

Does the name-calling begin in earnest? Has what we have suffered to date just been a warm-up for the main event as the country splits down the middle?

I’m one of Ray Martin’s dinosaurs and dickheads so I couldn’t possibly be expected to know. A dickhead, according to the dictionary is a stupid, irritating or ridiculous person. So be it.

Ray Martin and Senator Lidia Thorpe on Channel 7’s Spotlight Voice debate on Sunday night. Picture: Spotlight

Believe me when I say that I’ve been called a lot worse.

What is curious about all this is how people of Martin’s ilk are so besotted by their sense of self-importance that they think that their opinion matters and deserves to be announced from on high.

All we stupid, ridiculous people can’t possibly be relied upon to work anything out for ourselves. We have to rely on the wisdom of a TV personality.

Footballers are now entering the fray, telling us which side they support.

If you wanted advice on matters relating to the Constitution, to whom would you refer? A footballer?

Footballers have particular skills, these enabling them to run from one end of a paddock to the other while holding or kicking a ball or alternatively trying to stop someone else from doing the same.

Constitutional law is not their forte, but hey fellas, thanks for sharing.

Better make sure you are looking your best next weekend because, according to the Prime Minister, the world will be watching.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and journalist Ray Martin at The West Says Yes event in Sydney in September. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Max Mason-Hubers

It won’t, of course. The result will be but a tiny blip on the world’s radar and forgotten in a heartbeat, but it serves the purpose of some to pretend otherwise.

Stupid and irritating though I may be, it did not escape my tiny dinosaur-like brain that while every Tom, Ray and Harry has been banging on about the referendum, the Palaszczuk government has been quietly excelling itself.

We had the revelation that we are now paying a pack of assistant ministers almost $100k extra on top of their salaries to do what? That, alas, is a secret.

Some ministers, it must be said, would be hard-pressed to tie their shoelaces without assistance but we deserve to know why we are handing out the extra dosh or is it just a sling to the boys and girls to keep them on-side?

Will the government introduce legislation to allow the Crime and Corruption Commission’s findings regarding the former deputy premier Jacki Trad to be made public? I doubt it.

Queensland Governor Dr Jeannette Young. Picture: Facebook

Former deputy premier Jackie Trad. Picture: AAP

Then we had the Griffith University saga where accommodation would be used to help solve the housing crisis.

This thought bubble lasted for 24 hours before it popped and has not been heard of since.

Then we had the announcement of yet another inquiry into DNA testing at the state government’s laboratory.

This was only announced after the media revealed what appear to be significant flaws in a previous inquiry.

Without this pressure, nothing would have been done.

Youth crime has now spiralled out of control. It was bad before but the situation is now critical.

I have a friend who had her car stolen from her house recently. I asked how they found the keys.

“I left them out on the kitchen bench so anyone breaking in would find them, take the car and leave,” she said.

“I didn’t want them coming into my bedroom looking for the keys and attacking me.”

Ben Cannon from Voice For Victims, Queensland Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll and Police Minister Mark Ryan meet to discuss ways to tackle youth crime. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

Even when measured against what on a good day is a lacklustre performance, the government’s actions or lack of them in recent times have been lamentable.

We boast about the 2032 Brisbane Games and champion net zero pie-in-the-sky plans from the rooftops while people lie in their beds wondering if tonight will be the night they are robbed or bashed.

Still, it wasn’t all bad news, with Governor Jeannette Young doing us all a favour by buying for her personal consumption some vintage non-Queensland wines from the Government House cellars because only Queensland wines are to be served at official functions.

Even a stupid, irritating dinosaur like me can imagine that a charity would have been happy to received them as a donation and raffle them, but that’s not the way things are done these days, is it?