Opinion: QBCC review fails to hold minister to account
The State Labor Government has weathered another review, this time into the construction watchdog. And the minister responsible remains unscathed, writes Peter Gleeson.
Peter Gleeson
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He’s not called Teflon Mick for nothing.
The minister responsible for the oversight of the Queensland Building and Construction Commission, Mick de Brenni, has escaped virtually unscathed in the Varghese report handed down yesterday.
It’s laughable to suggest that the QBCC’s problems are of its own making, and that Mr de Brenni will now come in like some sort of White Knight and act on some of Dr Varghese’s recommendations to fix the problems.
This is a government body that is a dysfunctional train wreck, an organisation that treats unfairly builders and its own employees.
The board is complicit, as is the senior executive and, ultimately, the Minister and his office.
Yet the Varghese report, while hamstrung by limited terms of reference, does little to suggest there will be any change to this lame duck organisation.
Here’s what Mr de Brenni said of the report: “While many actions will be implemented through administrative processes, others will require a detailed business case to ensure the Government is implementing reforms in a considered and fiscally responsible way.
“Actions that strengthen the conflicts of interest framework, improve transparency, and consistency in the QBCC’s decision making processes, will be prioritised.
“As a first step, a robust 90-day action plan has been developed to address the matters raised in the review report.
“As the independent reviewer highlights, it is now time to roll up the sleeves and get on with the job.’’
Just like that. Roll up the sleeves and get on with the job.
Dr Varghese believes “improvements can be made to support more effective Board operations, by reducing its size, making the conflicts of interest framework publicly available and, annually appraising the board’s performance’’.
Can we please start by relieving chairman Dick Williams of his role?
The QBCC action group put out a statement yesterday, saying unlike the Coaldrake report, the government had fallen well short of adopting the Varghese report in full.
It said Mr de Brenni’s role had “essentially escaped any scrutiny’’ and only a full commission of inquiry would outline the extent of the problems at the QBCC.
Another Queensland Labor Government review ticked off. Another review that begs more questions than answers.
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