George Street Beat: Qld politics news and gossip
The Energizer bunny of politics, Premier David Crisafulli, finally hit a wall this week after months of relentless 3am starts and a post-election workload that would rival a coal miner’s double shift. THIS IS GEORGE STREET BEAT
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The Energizer bunny of politics, Premier David Crisafulli, finally hit a wall this week after months of relentless 3am starts and a post-election workload that would rival a coal miner’s double shift.
Unsurprisingly, his body has decided to stage a coup, forcing him to skip the Queensland Resources Council annual forum – much to his despair.
Resources Minister Dale Last was called in from the bullpen to deliver the keynote address, quipping to the crowd of mining heavyweights that the Premier currently sounded like “a cross between Darren Lockyer and Ian MacFarlane”.
The joke landed well and the room erupted with laughter.
But, in all seriousness, Mr Crisafulli will need to rest his gravely pipes ahead of parliament’s return next week. Rest up Premier, time to gear up for a political marathon, not a sprint!
TRUTH BEHIND LABOR’S ELECTION WIPE-OUT
The causes of Queensland Labor’s political execution at last month’s state election will be picked apart by two interstate operatives, as party members flood the submissions line with their thoughts and feelings.
It’s been confirmed NSW Labor general secretary Dom Ofner and South Australian Senator Karen Grogan will undertake the compulsory post-election review in a bid to dissect what went wrong.
Labor had already put the call out for submissions and it’s understood members have been flooding the inbox in the hundreds.
There is no deadline yet set for when the report will be finalised. The review itself will likely come up against competing priorities, with Labor executives across the country having to get battle ready for a looming federal election.
Already in August it was revealed NSW Labor had put all non-urgent business on ice as it moved to a “campaign footing”.
CLOCK’S TICKING
Speaking of campaigns and a lack of deadlines the LNP has opened nominations for six federal Queensland seats it doesn’t hold, namely the five Labor electorates and the Greens-held Brisbane. The LNP long ago preselected lawyer Maggie Forrest in the Greens-held seat of Ryan.
Against there isn’t a firm timetable on when nominations will shut. Some insiders have indicated it's a case of party leadership knowing who they want and waiting for those people to make up their minds. Former Brisbane MP Trevor Evans is understood to be still contemplating a potential return to the arena.
WILL THE REAL DALE PLEASE STAND UP
Newly-minted Resources Minister Dale Last found himself embroiled in comical identity bungle palava recently while trying to board a Qantas flight to the mining mecca of Moranbah.
In the heat of winning government whoever booked him in for the flight had mistakenly switched his first and last name around.
Qantas was having none of it, barring the new minister from boarding until he could prove – in no uncertain terms – that he was Last Dale.
We hear there was what felt like an hour of back and forth between an immovable Qantas and unstoppable Dale Last. Or Last Dale.
Ultimately the flight booking had to be cancelled and rebooked. To add insult to injury the flying kangaroo then proceeded to lose the minister’s luggage – on two consecutive flights.
WAITING GAME
Tim Nicholls might have set a new record for longest press conference waiting game during his debut as Health Minister this week.
For 45 excruciatingly idle minutes, journalists loitered outside the Eight Mile Plains Satellite Hospital perfecting their thumb-twiddling techniques while Mr Nicholls mingled with patients and staff like a political social butterfly.
Now, the press corps isn’t exactly vying for the title of “Queensland’s most patient workforce” any time soon, but even the gallery had to chuckle at the near-50-minute waiting exercise in its absurdity.
And yes, the LNPs shiny new advisory team might still be working out the kinks in herding the media cats, but we’re not that demanding … most of the time.
Luckily we were right next to a coffee cart. Next time, at least tell us to bring snacks.
PARLIAMENT CHOIR BUILDS
Crooners are abound in Queensland’s crop of state politicians. GSB’s deep investigative work on Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland’s singing prowess has prompted another MP to come forward – video evidence in hand – of their own abilities.
Mt Ommaney MP Jess Pugh, Labor’s Old Guard pocket rocket, revealed she had for years been singing the New Zealand national anthem at Anzac Day events across her electorate.
Ms Pugh, whose father is from across the ditch, has also been singing God Defend New Zealand in the prerequisite te reo Maori followed by English.
The self-professed karaoke enthusiast said the seeds of her public singing career were planted when she noticed the NZ national anthem hadn’t been sung at an Anzac Day service. It turned out there wasn’t anyone available to sing it in both languages, a skill shortage Ms Pugh took upon herself to rectify.
If there are any other Queensland state MPs with musical prowess, know that we want to hear from you.
CAREER MOVES
The one-time chief of staff to then-Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has struck out on her own months after leaving the Labor-aligned lobby firm at the centre of the former state government’s integrity crisis.
Veteran Labor staffer Denise Spinks, in a post to LinkedIn, revealed she had launched her own advisory outfit. The move to open Spinks Advisory comes three months after the announced departure from Anacta Strategies.
ELECTION AWARDS
The election was filled with big swings, surprise upsets, and a gaggle of new MPs. But who were the official outliers of the poll? Here we present the winners, decided by data.
Margin Conquistador: Warrego MP Ann Leahy secured the largest 2PP margin at 27.85 per cent.
Death Dodger: Former transport minister Bart Mellish has the smallest margin, holding Aspley by 0.04 per cent, or 31 votes.
Rags to Riches: Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm looked at her 3.3 per cent margin in 2020 and said “absolutely not” before obliterating the field to secure the biggest increase of a returning MP this election. Her new vote cushion? 18.5 per cent.
Prizefighter: Winning a seat from a different party is hard and the LNP’s Nigel Dalton came out swinging. The history-maker broke Labor’s 109-year hold of Mackay and did it by securing the largest 2PP swing (16.9 per cent) of a new MP.
The People’s Favourite: Premier David Crisafulli secured the largest first preference share of any MP at 64 per cent, in a title he inherits from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (67.4 per cent in 2020)
Trend Renegade: As other Labor MPs watched their vote crumble against the 2020 result one of their colleagues bucked the trend – Cooper MP Jonty Bush secured a 3.07 per cent increase in first preference support. No LNP MP suffered a dip in support.
Biggest Haircut: Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher took the largest margin cut of any MP who lived to tell the tale. His once healthy 23.5 per cent margin (2020) was reduced to 9.21 per cent (a 14.29 per cent fall).
Smallest Slice: The LNP’s Terry James topped the extensive Mulgrave leaderboard but still comes in as the MP with the smallest share of first preference votes at 27.4 per cent.
SPOTTED
Part-time government relations adviser for mining giant Bravus Paul Fennelly was spotted at the LNP’s State Council in Rockhampton, attending the political get together as a card-carrying party member. Mr Fennelly, a former Coordinator-General, is also a board member of the Jobs for Mining Communities lobby group.
FUN FACT #1
The official Opening of the 58th Parliament of Queensland, to be held on Wednesday November 27 will feature, as is tradition, a 19-gun salute.
FUN FACT #2
There are now three MPs (Meaghan Scanlon, Bryson Head, Ariana Doolan) who were not yet born when newly-minted Minister Fiona Simpson was first elected to parliament in 1992.
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