Question Time blog: Steven Miles grilled over claims cabinet considered cancelling Olympics

Premier Steven Miles has used the first rule of cabinet to fend off a savage grilling over claims his government sought advice on whether to cancel the 2032 Games. QUESTION TIME BLOG

The Miles government has leaned on the last grasp of Cabinet secrecy to avoid allegations it considered abandoning the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It comes as Premier Steven Miles fended off a savage grilling over claims cabinet sought advice on whether to cancel the Games.

SEE HOW QUESTION TIME UNFOLDED BELOW

Updates

12:32 pm March 20, 2024

Premier's clings to last grasp of Cabinet secrecy to avoid Games maelstrom

James Hall

The Miles government has leaned on the last grasp of Cabinet secrecy to avoid allegations it considered abandoning the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Premier Steven Miles was grilled by the Opposition in parliament following reports from Channel Nine that revealed the government had sought legal advice to ditch the Games as the political fallout over infrastructure disputes and cost blowouts intensified.

It has since emerged the allegation included that Cabinet considered the proposal to abandon the Games when it met on Monday.

But when Opposition MP Tim Mander asked the Premier if Cabinet considered cancelling the Games during that meeting, Mr Miles clutched on to the last protections offered to Ministers to keep matters discussed a secret.

This week’s Cabinet meeting will be the last meeting kept under lock and key for decades, while next Monday’s meeting will be released to the public within 30 days in line with integrity reforms.

Queenslanders will not be given access to deliberations discussed in this week’s Cabinet meeting until 2044.

“We don't discuss what is discussed in Cabinet and I don't intend to do so in here today,” the Premier told parliament this morning.

“It is a key tenet of a functioning government that those discussions are confidential and so I won't be confirming or denying any particular discussion.”

The Premier’s office emphatically denied seeking advice to ditch the Games when approached by The Courier-Mail on Tuesday evening.

“The government has never sought advice about cancelling the Games,” a spokeswoman said.

“We’ve always said Queensland would deliver a great Games – not once did the government ever have the intention to cancel the games.

“We have decided not to spend $3.4 billion on a new stadium.”

As previously revealed by The Courier-Mail, the rapid release of Cabinet documents will be applied to the final Cabinet meeting of March with the contents of deliberations discussed to be made public by the end of April.

The proactive release scheme was a key recommendation from Professor Peter Coaldrake’s review into government integrity culture, which said the public would have more trust in government if decisions were “made in the open and subject to scrutiny”.

Currently, State Cabinet documents are kept secret for 20 years.

11:13 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

'Slippery with the truth': Fentiman hits back on Logan Hospital attacks

Madura McCormack

The risk level at Logan Hospital has been downgraded Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has confirmed as she accused the Opposition of being “slippery with the truth”.
Ms Fentiman, at the end of question time, stood to clarify details on an internal review at Logan Hospital used by the Opposition to attack the government using question time.
“I'm advised that this internal entry was part of a normal ongoing process of measuring and mitigating potential risks at Queensland hospitals and it is a standard process to ensure our hospitals are as safe as possible,” she said.
“I think it's important to clarify a few points this risk entry was first identified not in 2022, but early 2016. Once again the Leader of the Opposition and the LNP are being slippery with the truth.
“The LNP today are now referencing updates to this internal risk entry from early 2022, at the height of Queensland battling the COVID 19 pandemic and floods across Logan.
“This is the smoking gun that the LNP are spinning to Queenslanders that our hospitals are under pressure at the time of the pandemic. I can also confirm speaker that since 2022 that risk has been downgraded.”

11:07 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Whinging whining, the answer is no: Grace

Hayden Johnson

Manager of Opposition Business Andrew Powell noted the government said it did not receive any formal legal advice to cancel the 2032 Games, but did it receive any non-formal advice?

"Formal, non-formal, whinging, whining," Grace Grace responded said.

"The answer to the question is no."

Ms Grace also declared "Suncorp Stadium will be a shiny stadium that Queenslanders love and enjoy"… moments after Deputy Premier Cameron Dick attacked the LNP and declared the "Olympics is not about shiny stadiums".

11:04 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Is Premier absorbed by Hunger Games in government Cabinet?

James Hall

Is the state government too absorbed in a Hunger Games-themed battle of survival to manage major policies and world events such as the Olympic and Paralympic Games?
The Opposition’s Fiona Simpson delivered a cheeky reminder of the recent dysfunction in the Labor Party when asking the Premier about the widely scrutinised updated proposal for the Games.
“Can the Premier confirm he is more focused on the Hunger Games in Labor's cabinet than the Olympic and Paralympic Games for Queensland?” she asked.
Steven Miles didn’t bit, however, delivering a very on-message response.
“I am focused on listening to Queenslanders, I am focused on delivering what they told me they want and they do not tell me they want a $3.4 billion stadium in the inner city,” the Premier said.
“They tell me they want their government focused on delivering health care and new facilities and more doctors and nurses and ambos.
“They tell me that they want us to deliver more housing and to take care of those in the housing crisis. And that's what we will do. That is my focus.”

10:57 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Quick QSAC fun fact

Madura McCormack

A quick geography fun fact about the QSAC site at Nathan—it borders a massive 80 hectare cemetery and crematorium.
The Mount Gravatt Cemetery and Crematorium, run by Brisbane City Council, was first established in 1918 and unlike many other cemeteries still has open lots.
A number of notable people are buried at Mount Gravatt cemetery, including prospector and land owner of early colony Brisbane James Toohey.
QSAC is within the electorate of Toohey, named after the nearby Toohey Forest Park which in turn gets its name from the late James Toohey.

10:50 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

'Cannot outsource': Premier says stadium decision not up to the experts

Stephanie Bennett

Back to David Crisafulli now, and he asks the Premier whether he will immediately set up a "truly independent" infrastructure delivery authority to "salvage Queensland's reputation on the world stage" in light of this stadium debacle.

The Premier mostly laughs that question off, although does say "you bet!".

Instead, he spiels off times when the Leader of the Opposition supported a redeveloped Gabba – the same thing the government's own stadium review found was needed as it nears its end of life.

Bizarrely, the Premier seems to think the LNP's position of thinking Brisbane needs a "world-class stadium" is – bad? 

He also seems to think it's a ridiculous proposition for an independent delivery authority to have an input on what the best outcome would be, instead it should be solely up to the government regardless of independent expert advice.

"You cannot outsource those kinds of decisions," he says.

10:39 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Premier reveals the first rule of cabinet

Madura McCormack

Premier Steven Miles has refused to divulge if his cabinet discussed pulling out of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games at their meeting on Monday.
He effectively reiterates that the first rule of cabinet is you don’t talk about cabinet.

10:33 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Fentiman concedes burn out in sector

James Hall

Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has conceded the sector is suffering with workforce burnout, particularly after the gruelling experiences from the pandemic.
Her comments were in response to revelations an analysis document raised concerns about extreme workloads which risked issues relating to “clinical processes and patient deterioration”.
The Opposition’s John-Paul Langbroek cited the document and asked if the Minister would investigate how many more cases might have gone unreported, on top of the death of grandfather Russell Bates in Logan.
Ms Fentiman again urged the Opposition to “let the doctors and nurses do their job and investigate” the matter, and repeated her assurance the government will investigate further if systemic issues emerge.
“I want to acknowledge that coming out of covid, our frontline staff are absolutely burnt out,” the Health Minister said.
“Not only did the staff not get a break they didn't get holidays with family.
“They didn't get to do professional development training. Our frontline staff absolutely worked incredibly hard to save lives.”

10:31 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Did Cabinet consider cancelling the Olympic Games?

Hayden Johnson

Deputy LNP Leader Jarrod Bleijie has asked whether Cabinet considered cancelling the Olympic Games on Monday and questioned "why did the Premier deny it?"

The premier said the Newman government sought advice in 2012 to axe the Commonwealth Games.

"The only government that I'm aware of that has ever sought follow legal advice about canceling a Games was those opposite when they sought to cancel their Commonwealth Games," he said.

Mr Miles said the government was unwavering in its support for the Games.

10:24 am March 20, 2024 Highlight

Incidents "unreported" - Minister grilled on Logan Hospital

Stephanie Bennett

Sticking with issues at the Logan Hospital and Whitsundays MP Amanda Camm has one for the Health Minister.

She refers to a risk analysis document from 2022 which says at least three heart attacks were missed, and further analysis would have "likely found the majority of harm and clinical incidents went unreported".

"Can the minister explain how the majority of harm and clinical incidences possibly going unreported at Logan hospital is not a systemic issue?"

The Minister says she is happy to look at the report – noting it is from a couple of years ago – but then goes into a spiel about the government's record in investing in the hospital since then.

"These reports are done by health services to ensure, when they are under pressure, they can work with the government – that's exactly why you do a risk analysis report," she said.