George St Beat: Ministers mount major PR blitz to erase dark memories of their predecessors
The cosy relationship between PwC and the Queensland government is a well-known fact - who could forget the infamous Whistler ski lodge trip. This is GEORGE ST BEAT.
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The fresh faces in two of the Palaszczuk government’s most troubled portfolios have continued their relentless PR blitz around the state this week, attempting to charm voters and hope they have short memories.
New Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has dived into the endless game of Whack-A-Mole – ambitiously addressing the sector’s long list of scandals.
This week she promised a state-of-the-art replacement spinal unit for Princess Alexandra Hospital – (but forgot to invite the media, instead opting for an Instagram pic) and also tried to better spruik the controversial satellite hospitals (the ones that aren’t hospitals).
And when caught on questions over Queensland Health not reporting hospital capacity tiers, she quickly abandoned predecessor Yvette D’Ath’s position with lightning speed, ordering QH to reassess information published online.
Meanwhile new Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon has held at least five PR pushes at social housing complexes, meeting with stakeholders from Longreach to Gympie.
But Ms Scanlon’s first major challenge arrived on Thursday morning with a 15-minute grilling from reporters about the gaping loophole in the government’s new rental laws.
She appeared poised and unflustered, but her comments on further strengthening rental laws will lead to her next hurdle – deflecting the ferocity of a fed-up and powerful real estate industry group.
GABBATOIR
If there was ever any doubt within the Organising Committee for the 2032 Games about the need to rebuild the Gabba stadium, it has well and truly evaporated after a tour last week.
The 20-plus member board (we’ve lost count how many are on it) had the tour before their meeting in Brisbane – and the government apparently pulled out all stops to ensure they were greatly disappointed.
It is understood the group was strategically taken in through Gate 7 – the back door, if you like, basically on East Brisbane State School’s oval.
From there they were shown all the reasons the facility could never meet the demands of the International Olympic Committee, from its outdated corporate facilities to its men’s-only locker rooms.
It was also pointed out that the Gabba’s capacity of just under 40,000 would mean nobody beyond the 35,000 or so “Olympic family” of execs, sponsors and other hangers-on would actually be able to get tickets to the opening and closing ceremonies.
WELL CONNECTED
Government reliance on the big four consulting giants has long been flagged as a problem (including in Professor Peter Coaldrake’s landmark review into government integrity last year), but no one could have predicted the bomb which was the PwC tax leak scandal this week.
We have heard it was less than ideal timing for the folks at Queensland Treasury, where the team is already busy beavering away at the budget but now have to also quickly review every contract it has with PwC. And you can bet there will be more than a few, with cosy relationships between such firms and the government a well-known fact.
Who could forget, for instance, Ms Fentiman being caught in her own PwC controversy a few years back when she failed to initially declare a free trip to the $7m Whistler ski lodge owned by her friend PwC consultant Nicole Scurrah in 2019 – alongside her buddy Jackie Trad.
Connections clearly run deep well across the big four, with it emerging last week that the government had forked out close to $800,000 of your money to Deloitte to do a report saying the government did not need to bother setting up an independent Olympics authority – handy, given they never wanted to do it in the first place.
AIRS AND GRACES
Our pollies are certainly making the most of these post-Covid days, with Education and Racing Minister Grace Grace the latest to jet overseas for a “study tour”.
The Minister headed to the United Arab Emirates and India in April, taking her Director-General Michael De’Ath and a couple of advisers with her for the week-long trip.
Apparently the main aim was to gain “global perspectives” on a new education strategy, plus “strengthen business relationships and connections in education and racing”.
While in Dubai, Ms Grace and the delegation were treated to a VIP tour of the world’s tallest building the Burj Khalifa (slated as “cultural immersion), and a tour of the Zabeel Stables (which, according to their Instagram are the “most exclusive stables in the world”).
Unfortunately while the Emirates Racing Authority used the visit to discuss enhanced collaboration between Queensland and the UAE, problems identified were the fairly impenetrable “stringent Australian quarantine requirements, the absence of a quarantine facility in Queensland, racing conditions applied to imported horses, and track attendance”.
According to her ministerial report to parliament on the tour, Ms Grace said she would “look into issues raised”. Worth it then.
FRENEMIES
If there was ever a time we wish we could have jumped on a plane from George St to head north for a press conference, it was definitely this week.
Our excitement peaked when word filtered through that Transport Minister Mark Bailey would be speaking to the media alongside sparring partner, Rockhampton MP Barry O’Rourke.
Of course who could forget the sensational blow up between the two, captured in leaked text messages, over delayed funding for the Rockhampton Ring Road.
In case you’ve forgotten Mr O’Rourke threatened to quit the party over the ongoing drama, telling Mr Bailey “mate if you do not announce funding next week in Rocky. I’m out. F – k u and the Labor Party”, along with accusing the Transport Minister of “the one that has totally f — k this up”.
But the duo were all smiles this week to announce the first tenants of the revamped railyards precinct, with Mr Bailey commenting on Mr O’Rourke’s Facebook post a much more congenial message of “well done Barry … you’ve been relentless in advocating and making this happen – a great day for Rocky!”
HIGH VISY
You don’t become one of the country’s richest men without having a bit of charisma, and it’s becoming clearer by the day that Anthony Pratt has the state government well and truly charmed.
The press pack was punted out to Visy’s Gibson Island $48m recycling facility this week, with the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, alongside Mr Pratt, spruiking the government’s $16m contribution. Of course it’s really all a sweetener, given Visy are giving up their West End site for the International Broadcast Centre for the Brisbane 2032 Games.
STATE OF PLAY
Palaszczuk’s band of merry men (and women) will head north again this weekend for the party’s state conference in Mackay – but GSB has been assured the famed fireworks of the past will be unfortunately kept to a minimum.
Labor delegates and representatives have been told to be on their best behaviour and keep the quarrelling friendly as the party plans to use the conference as somewhat of a united launch towards the 2024 state election.
The Premier will deliver the keynote address on Saturday morning followed by federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers, but it is believed Prime Minister Anthony Albanese won’t be making the journey to the sugar and mining city.
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