Jack McKay: Cameron Dick’s brand loses shine after land tax failure

It’s extraordinary that Cameron Dick felt compelled to publicly indicate that he stood by his land tax policy, even as the Premier was walking away from his failed proposal, writes Jack McKay.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has finally shelved Treasurer Cameron Dick’s failed land tax push, and it’s now highly unlikely it will ever be back.

Mr Dick’s brand has lost a lot of its shine following his land tax fight.

He persistently dug in trying to defend it – tripping up multiple times.

Remember he said the Queensland government had communicated with other revenue offices about the land tax.

And then other states subsequently said they had not been contacted about data-sharing arrangements.

Remember he said he did not need the help of the NSW government to implement the land tax changes.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Tara Croser

And then the Premier conceded that actually, yes, they did need their co-operation – or “goodwill” as she put it.

Even when his land tax changes were finally shelved by the Premier, the Treasurer’s spokesman still declared that Mr Dick stood by everything he said.

How awkward.

But, also, how extraordinary that Mr Dick felt compelled to publicly indicate that he stood by it all even as the Premier was walking away from his failed proposal.

Mr Dick’s spokesman also said the Treasurer accepted the Premier’s decision.

As we understand it, the tax changes were essentially dumped within the government once NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet said he would not share data with the other states.

The government’s suggestion that the Premier made the decision after talking to fellow leaders at national cabinet was simply the guise she needed to get the tax changes off the agenda for good.

It is highly unlikely we will see another push to make similar land tax changes any time soon.