Olympics portfolios axed, focus on crime in Miles’ ministerial shake-up

The final pieces of Premier Steven Miles’s cabinet have fallen into place with the ministries of newcomers revealed amid a makeover that repudiates Annastacia Palaszczuk’s obsession with the Olympic and Paralympic Games. FULL LIST

• History made: New minister a 163-year first

Former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s obsession with the Olympic and Paralympic Games has been repudiated by Steven Miles, who has axed three portfolios and refused to name a dedicated minister for the role.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie on Monday afternoon dismissed the Premier’s pitch of a refreshed cabinet with fresh faces, given the three heavily scrutinised portfolios will remain the same – health, housing and youth crime.

“Queenslanders see straight through Steven Miles’ feeble attempt to rebrand this tired, third-term Labor government,” he said.

“Today, Queenslanders are greeted with the same faces, around the same cabinet table, who have been making all the decisions, all along.”

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman, Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon and Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer are relatively new to the three portfolios, adopting the ministries during a reshuffle in May.

Grace Grace will take the powerful state development role. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Mr Miles insisted on Monday “there’s been a lot of change here”.

“A new leader and new deputy leader (and) five new faces,” the Premier said.

“I think that when Queenslanders see this fresh approach, they’ll see it for what it is.

“In the very least, initially, they’ll give us a chance to prove ourselves.”

It is a stunning reversal from eight days ago, when Ms Palaszczuk was Olympics minister and two ministers were assisting her on Olympic sport and Olympic infrastructure.

Mr Miles will axe the three Olympic-related portfolios and fold responsibility for the 2032 Games into the responsibilities of Grace Grace, who will become state development, infrastructure, industrial relations and racing Minister.

She will not have Olympic and Paralympic Games in her title.

Graham Fraine, the bureaucrat at the head of the government’s Brisbane 2032 Co-ordination Office, will become director-general of the Department of State Development.

Ms Palaszczuk in October 2021 said her three Olympic portfolios would drive the ministry to work “tirelessly in relation to delivering the best Gamers ever” – despite the event being 11 years away.

The change to the government’s involvement in the Olympics, advocated by The Courier-Mail, comes as Mr Miles on Monday unveils a new-look ministry.

Nikki Boyd will become the Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery, with her first task to assist the flood response in far north Queensland.

Bart Mellish will take the Transport and Main Roads portfolio, while Child Safety and Multicultural Affairs will become the responsibility of Charis Mullen.

Yvette D’Ath will remain Attorney-General.

Police Minister Mark Ryan will remain in the role but have Community Safety added to his title.

Premier Steven Miles will unveil a new cabinet on Monday. Picture Lachie Millard

Mr Miles on Friday declared keeping citizens safe was a government’s most important obligation.

“Community safety will drive all we do and there’s so much more to do,” he said.

Youth Justice Minister Di Farmer will add Education to her ministry as the state government focuses on early intervention to help fix youth crime.

“He wants to put education at the forefront of the response to youth crime,” a person familiar with cabinet position discussions said.

In another major change, Mick de Brenni will become the minister for clean energy and jobs, with a focus on addressing climate change.

Mr Miles used his first speech as Premier to reveal the state would legislate to cut emissions by 75 per cent by 2035.

Michael Healy, a Cairns MP, will become the minister for tourism and sport.

The future role of Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath and who would fill the vacant transport portfolio will be revealed by Mr Miles at Government House on Monday.

“You’ll really see in the way we’ve put the cabinet together how it’s focused on our priorities, it’s also focused on that renewal, on having those new faces,” Mr Miles said on Sunday.

He also confirmed reports in The Sunday-Mail Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon would add planning, public works and local government to give her portfolio more clout in addressing chronic housing issues.

“(Ms Scanlon) brings that perspective of younger Queenslanders, she knows young people and what it’s like to be looking to rent to experience rent increases to be trying to save a deposit for a house and so I think she’s an excellent appointment for this position,” he said.

Ms Scanlon, who earns $327,705 as a minister, acknowledged she wasn’t in the same position as people who were struggling.

“I’m acutely aware my position is not the same as all other young Queenslanders, I’d never profess to be in the same situation,” she said.

“I come to this position as someone as part of my generation and I want people in my generation to know that I’m on their side.

“It is quite unusual to have someone who’s a renter in the cabinet and I want to make sure that we support renters.”

Steven Miles, Meaghan Scanlon, Cameron Dick and Grace Grace. Picture: Annette Dew