George Street Beat: Qld politics news and gossip
A leading Queensland union pays men significantly more than women despite having a predominantly female workforce, new data has revealed. THIS IS GEORGE ST BEAT
QLD Politics
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Politics. Followed categories will be added to My News.
A leading Queensland union pays men significantly more than women despite having a predominantly female workforce, new data has revealed.
The Queensland Nurses and Midwives’ Union has a staggering gender pay gap of 12.3 per cent, according to data released by the Workplace Gender Equality Agency.
This despite 81 per cent of the QNMU’s workforce being women, and 70 per cent of its highest paid executives also being women.
The median gender pay gap at the QNMU is in line with the national average, but the dominance of women in its workforce means the maths just didn’t seem to add up.
A QNMU spokesman confirmed the data was accurate and insisted there was “no suggestion of pay discrepancy between men and women working in like-for-like roles”.
“Some of the higher paying roles in the QNMU are from heavily male-dominated industries, such as industrial relations and information technology,” he said.
“Of the seven highest paying roles at the QNMU, six are filled by women.”
Comparatively, the United Workers Union has a gender pay gap of 5.4 per cent and the median wage for men at the Australian Workers Union (QLD branch) is 16.6 per cent higher than it is for women.
COAL WAR RELATIONS THAW
Frosty relations between the state government and the powerful Queensland Resources Council seem to have taken an extraordinary corner toward reconciliation after Premier Steven Miles extended an olive branch – with his presence.
It has been nearly 16 months after Annastacia Palaszczuk snubbed QRC’s annual lunch – triggering a shadow ban on MPs attending official functions of the peak body amid an ongoing war on coal royalties.
So it was a shock to see Miles at QRC’s International Women’s Day lunch, with a full contingent in tow.
Other government identities included Director-General Mike Kaiser, Resources Minister Scott Stewart and even Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert. The Opposition was represented by shadow frontbenchers Dale Last and David Janetzki.
It’s understood the refreshed government wanted to signal it understood the importance of the resources industry in Queensland.
Political watchers questioned if the improved relations were inevitable after the exit of Palaszczuk and QRC chief (and former Federal Coalition Minister) Ian Macfarlane.
Ultimately the QRC is not expected to drop its coal royalty attack ads, nor will mining heavyweight BHP stop criticising the policy at every turn.
CLEAN UP, AISLE 3
It was a special inquiry sold as a public grilling of supermarket giants over skyrocketing prices, but blind Freddy knew it was also about boosting the government’s hopes in battler electorates amid a cost of living crisis.
Now it can be revealed the deals and political plays have soured the inquiry and potentially undone Premier Steven Miles’ attempts to cozy up to the Katter’s Australian Party aka Queensland’s kingmakers-in-waiting.
KAP leader Robbie Katter has since branded the inquiry a waste of time and money, slamming it as “window dressing” which won’t do anything meaningful for consumers.
It wasn’t meant to be this way.
Miles, in his ongoing efforts to woo the KAP boys, had offered Katter the plum role to chair the select committee making the Mount Isa MP an independent presence on a seven-member panel.
The plan was to take advantage of the Katters’ credibility among farmers and in the bush.
This option made it all the way to the self-checkout queue before the government got cold feet.
Government insiders say there had always been options floated for the inquiry; one with Katter at the helm, the Project Save Bundaberg model, and for a brief moment Miles considered chairing it himself.
Nine votes stood between Bundaberg MP Tom Smith and the incumbent at the last election and making him chair was a strategic choice to boost his chances in an electorate with a high concentration of farmers.
Smith is also trying to hold on to his job as MP of Queensland’s food bowl by fending off the LNP’s Bree Watson, who has dedicated her career to advocating for horticulturalists.
It could all go pear shaped still. Federal Opposition MP Keith Pitt, who is based in Bundaberg, queried the logic of making Smith spend extended periods travelling outside the electorate.
Federal Opposition MP Keith Pitt, who is based in Bundaberg, questioned the strategy of making Smith spend extended periods outside his electorate
“Clearly it’s the farewell tour,” he said.
The six-member panel — half Labor half LNP — will also be restricted to supermarket prices after the government struck down the Opposition’s move to expand the inquiry to electricity, insurance, transport.
Those in government have taken aim at the Opposition decision to leave its cost-of-living spokeswoman Deb Frecklington off the committee.
But an Opposition spokesman bit back, saying it wasn’t a true cost-of-living inquiry as it left out the major issues of energy prices, insurance and transport – issues the state can have an impact on.
PAGING THE RESIDENT DOCTOR
Christian Rowan, the only MP who is also a real doctor, has had to put his medical skills to use on parliament grounds again this week after a guest fainted at an event.
In fact the resident doctor turned up to the Speaker’s lawn so quickly some were convinced parliament staff had the Opposition MP on speed dial considering he wasn’t meant to be at the event.
Dr Rowan, like the rest of the Opposition, was conspicuously left off the invite list for the government’s official women’s week event in parliament on Wednesday night.
But he managed to score an invite, although only briefly.
It can be revealed a woman at the event was having a fainting spell and parliamentary staff, potentially with their network of lookouts, sped off to locate Dr Rowan.
As luck would have it he was attending another event within the halls of parliament and was tapped on the shoulder to help.
He swooped in to assist and made sure the woman was fine and well before disappearing into the crowd as quickly as he had arrived.
Not all superheroes wear capes, but a chunk of them have been to med school.
RUSSO’S WORD
Last week George Street Beat named Member for Toohey Peter Russo as one of several MPs potentially considering pulling the pin on their political careers before the next election.
But the MP made a point of pulling a correspondent of this column aside in the halls of parliament in recent days to put on the record that he is 100 per cent going to running again.
Russo gave his iron-clad promise to be on the ballot paper on October 24.
We’ll take Mr Russo on his word, and acknowledge his frustration. But after the recent sudden departure of Annastacia Palaszczuk and the decision by Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath not to run again after recent commitments to the contrary, can you blame our initial prediction?
FEATHERS RUFFLED ON THE HUSTINGS
Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding is believed to have ruffled some feathers in campaign headquarters.
Ahead of the Ipswich West by-election, the former LNP federal candidate mingled with Labor heavyweights for the launch of Wendy Bourne’s campaign.
During the event, Ms Harding cosied up with the Premier for an Instagram video spruiking the government’s $10m pledge to upgrade a sports field in Ipswich.
Adorned in an Ipswich Jets cap, Mr Miles told followers: “I’m here with Ipswich Mayor Teresa Harding and we just made a fantastic announcement.”
Ms Harding, who faces her own election battle next week, thanked the Premier “and also Wendy Bourne for bringing this phenomenal amount of money back to Ipswich”.
It’s understood some LNP campaigners on the ground in Ipswich “were a bit annoyed”, according to party insiders.
But the innocuous video didn’t resonate with party figures inside state parliament.
“Local governments are damned if they do and damned if they don’t,” another LNP insider said.
“They’ve got to stand there because they don’t get the check unless they do sometimes – we all understand that, that’s the way things are.”
GET WELL SOON
The halls of parliament were emptier this week, with a whopping six MPs across the political spectrum away on leave. Southport MP Rob Molhoek provided a major scare, revealing to his local paper he had spent days in critical care after suffering a stroke.
Greens MP Amy MacMahon of course continues her recovery after a horror crash at Kangaroo Point. Labor MPs Joan Pease and Adrian Tantari, along with the LNP’s Amanda Camm were also away – with all three understood to be on a touch of medical leave. All are doing fine and we wish them all the best.
SPOTTED
Former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk at New Farm Deli on Thursday, just hours before a surprise motion in parliament to pay tribute to her legacy.
SPOTTED 2
Palaszczuk again! But this time in her former electorate of Inala. Labor’s Inala candidate Margie Nightingdale posted pictures of her and Palaszczuk on the hustings on Saturday. It’s understood the unexpected return to the campaign trail came after she was able to ditch the moon boot — obtained after a leg injury caused by a fall — earlier in the week.
Jobs for the girls? Failed MP handed plush job by Miles
Former Pumicestone MP Ali King who was defeated in October by a “child” has been given a job by her mate Steven Miles - and Labor MPs are not impressed. THIS IS GEORGE ST BEAT
‘Inevitable’: RBA chief’s 10-year prediction for cashless Australia
The governor of the Reserve Bank has given a frank assessment on the future of cash in Australian society after a series of questions from a Queensland MP. Read the exchange here.