Opinion: Weak Premier looks vulnerable after trip-ups

Cracks are starting to appear in the seemingly impenetrable wall the Labor Party has built around Annastacia Palaszczuk, writes Des Houghton.

CRACKS are starting to appear in the seemingly impenetrable wall the Labor Party has built around Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The Premier looked weak and vacillating this week as she and her ministers flip-flopped on grassroots policy issues, from fishing and guns to public servants’ wages, and mixed messages over the supply of COVID-19 protective masks and gloves for nurses.

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With the economy smashed and workers being stood down, Labor ministers initially approved an extravagant pay rise for the state’s 224,000 public servants.

In not immediately rejecting the greedy cash grab, Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace undermined her leader.

Anyone who just lost their job must have been fuming.

Palaszczuk was forced to put the rise “on hold”. But the horse had bolted. She was unconvincing in attempts to explain it away. On hold? For how long? She would not say.

Today, tens of thousands of public servants not on the frontline are working from home on full pay doing very little. Some will be paid to do nothing while fellow workers in the private sector are sacked or have their salaries slashed.

Nevertheless, Palaszczuk’s inability to rein in the bloated public service confirms suspicions she is a mere figurehead in the union collective that masquerades as the Queensland Government.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk faces the media this week. Picture: Darren England/AAP

Defiantly, Palaszczuk has even shut Parliament to avoid scrutiny. Where was the outcry from civil libertarians?

Palaszczuk made some stupid statements. In warning against the COVID-19 she said: “I hate to say this, now is not the time for fun.”

Her words run counter to the Australian ethos of putting on a brave face while trying to having fun in adversity.

The State Government’s heavy-handed ban on recreational fishing led to another backflip.

And earlier this week Labor also classified licenced armourers and dealers “non-essential services”, which put the industry into lockdown.

I am guessing this was part of a bungled attempt to “get square” with Katter’s Australian Party, which forced Palaszczuk to make a grovelling apology in Parliament for attempting to cut its office funding. The Katters are partly funded by arms manufacturers.

Labor’s decision was reversed after it was pointed out weapons were vital farm tools in shooting marauding dingoes or euthanising sick or injured animals.

The coronavirus epidemic has guaranteed her positive publicity on the nightly news. But it can only go on for so long. Three months in virtual lockdown will have many Queenslanders climbing the walls. They will be looking for heads to kick. Publicity is a two-edged sword for political leaders. Voters will tire of Palaszczuk delivering bad news.

So far, the Palaszczuk years have not left people feeling empowered. And the worst may be yet to come.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington (right) with new Member for Currumbin Laura Gerber

The Premier has another problem: Deb Frecklington.

The cattleman’s daughter who was born on the Darling Downs is growing into her role as alternative premier.

She seems to have put aside the “Whingeing Wendy” persona that hindered her early months as leader.

Frecklington sometimes seemed to be too polite to be premier. But suddenly she is speaking with more authority.

Her deputy Tim Mander has mastered the art of the 30 second-grab for the TV news, although I’d like to see a little more mongrel in his attacks.

It seems Frecklington found her mojo during the difficult Currumbin by-election campaign where she kept a cool head and helped deliver a decisive LNP victory.

The victory is all the more impressive considering former LNP member Jann Stuckey seemed to take every opportunity to derail LNP’s Laura Gerber.

Nevertheless, Gerber with 44 per cent of the vote trounced Labor’s Kaylee Campradt on 38 per cent.

The LNP needs to capitalise on the victory and be more assertive with policy settings.

It would do well to propose to legislate a three-year freeze on public servants’ wages, with extra money funnelled to local councils for job-creating projects such as repairs to roads, bridges and footpaths and construction of mountain bike tracks.

As expected, Labor won the by-election in its heartland blue-collar seat of Bundamba. But the party suffered a massive fall in its primary vote.

Ominously for the ALP, there was a huge swing to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation. A similar swing in the State election would see Labor lose in Townsville, Rockhampton, Mundingburra, Bancroft, Pine Rivers and Thuringowa. And it would have difficulty in three more – Maryborough, Murrumba and Keppel.

Labor can take little joy from the Brisbane City Council elections.

Its celebrity candidate Pat Condren crashed and, despite a Green surge in inner-city wards, Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner and his team retained all 19 wards they held in the last council.

The surge to the Greens in inner-city Brisbane was interesting, with the ALP finishing third in Central, Paddington and Walter Taylor.

Des Houghton is a media consultant and a former editor of The Courier-Mail and The Sunday Mail