The key players pulling LNP’s strings behind the scenes
Long-time policy advisers, a TV presenter turned star candidate, and party loyalists will have a major influence on the LNP government over the next four years. See their chief of staff team here.
QLD Politics
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Politics. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Long-time policy advisers, a TV presenter turned star candidate, and LNP loyalists have been elevated into state ranks as the newly-elected Crisafulli government puts together its Ministerial offices.
Bianca Stone, journalist turned LNP candidate, has landed a plum role as chief of staff for a senior minister.
Premier David Crisafulli’s loyal policy advisers have also been scattered across ministerial offices, with familiar faces from the short-lived Campbell Newman government also returning in senior roles.
Richard Ferrett
Chief of staff to Premier David Crisafulli
Richard Ferrett is one of Premier David Crisafulli’s closest and oldest confidants. Mr Ferrett is understood to be a good balancer to Mr Crisafulli.
The pair have a long history, with Mr Ferret first joining Mr Crisafulli’s office during his time as local government minister between 2012 and 2015.
He returned when Mr Crisafulli became opposition leader and has been instrumental in maintaining a functioning office.
Nathan Ruhle
Chief of staff to Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie has brought a string of familiar faces back into government and his chief of staff fits the pattern.
Sunshine Coaster Nathan Ruhle joins government after previously serving as a policy adviser in Mr Bleijie’s office when he was Attorney-General in the Newman government.
Most recently Mr Ruhle was the manager of intergovernmental relations at the Local Government Association of Queensland.
Prior to that he had been a policy hack in the Opposition office, rising through the ranks to become chief policy wonk by the time he left in early 2021.
Matt Tapsall
Chief of staff to Treasurer and Energy Minister David Janetzki
LNP policy wonk Matt Tapsall was instrumental in the push to win government across the last term, with the long-time operative to join Mr Janetzki’s office as chief of staff.
This isn’t Mr Tapsall’s first go as a chief of staff, after serving in similar roles during the Newman era and also for Senator James McGrath between 2015 and 2018 when he was Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister during the Malcolm Turnbull years.
Mr Tapsall’s resume includes six years as a policy adviser at Brisbane City Council while Campbell Newman was at the helm, before he followed the Lord Mayor into government.
Outside of governments Mr Tapsall has spent a collective nine years across two stints working for Suncorp.
Michael Negerevich
Chief of staff to Minister for Finance, Trade and Investment Ros Bates
Michael Negerevich will step into government fresh from helping run the LNP’s tumultuous, though otherwise successful, state election campaign as the party’s Deputy State Director.
The career political staffer has previously also worked under Nationals leader David Littleproud and started his career in the office of Senator James McGrath.
Police Minister Dan Purdie, in his maiden speech in 2018, listed Mr Negerevich as his campaign manager.
Ally Foley
Chief of staff to Resources Minister Dale Last
Media and communications specialist Alexandra Foley joins government after nearly a decade in the private sector, working particularly in the mining industry including in a contractor capacity at Bravus — the company formerly known as Adani.
Through the Newman years she worked as a media adviser for Ministers including Lawrence Springborg and prior to that was a producer and TV news reporter in Queensland.
Ms Foley appears to have spent the election working with registered third party group Jobs for Mining Communities — which was bankrolled at least partially by industry lobby group Coal Australia.
Electoral Commission of Queensland records show Coal Australia donated $303,575 to Jobs for Mining Communities Pty Ltd, with both outfits registered as third party organisations.
Belinda McEniery
Chief of staff to Health Minister Tim Nicholls
Highly-credentialed Belinda McEniery has joined state government armed with significant qualifications in economic and public health policy.
Ms McEniery’s resume includes more than two years as a budget adviser for Federal Health Minister Greg Hunt between 2020 and 2022 — at the height of Covid-19.
She was most recently a government relationships executive at pharmaceutical giant Novartis. Prior to that she was a senior policy adviser at the Mater based in Brisbane.
Ms McEniery was among a 111 scholars picked for the inaugural Schwarzman Scholarship program — started by Blackstone investment firm found Stephen Schwarzman as the Rhodes scholarship equivalent focused on Asia.
Karly Abbott
Chief of staff to Attorney-General Deb Frecklington
Career political staffer Karly Abbott, once tipped for preselection in the federal seat of Moncrieff, has been installed as Attorney-General Deb Frecklington’s chief of staff.
Ms Abbott was most recently a partner at lobbying outfit The Inner Circle Strategic Advisory — which is no longer listed on the Queensland Lobbying Register.
The company was deregistered from the federal lobbying register on November 5.
The Queensland Integrity Commissioner’s office confirmed the company was deregistered from the state’s lobbying list on November 4.
The Inner Circle Strategic Advisory’s website has also since been purged, but internet records show Ms Abbott was described as an “experienced political strategist with extensive campaign knowledge and experience”.
Ms Abbott was a senior adviser to former Federal Trade and Tourism Minister Steven Ciobo and in 2019 was considered a frontrunner to secure LNP preselection in the blue ribbon Gold Coast seat of Moncrieff.
She was ultimately pipped to the post by current Moncrieff MP Angie Bell.
Mitchell Potts
Chief of staff to Education and Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek
Mitchell Potts is among at least a trio of new chief of staff appointments that come to Queensland after previously working for the NSW Liberals.
He was most recently a senior adviser at the Australian Energy Market Commission, though in late September he revealed on LinkedIn he would be returning to Brisbane without a job lined up.
“A new city also means a new role, so I’m on the lookout for the next exciting opportunity. If you know a good one, let me know!” Mr Potts said.
It seems Mr Potts had no struggle finding a role, posting to LinkedIn on Wednesday that he would be moving on to “another exciting role”.
He was the chief of staff to NSW Corrections Minister Geoff Lee, who retired before the 2023 NSW election.
Bianca Stone
Chief of staff to Police Minister Dan Purdie
LNP star candidate Bianca Stone has expectedly landed a plum role in the new government after missing out on the Gold Coast seat of Gaven by a whisker to Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon.
The veteran journalist will be the most familiar face in the LNP’s suite of chiefs of staff, with Ms Stone spending two decades on screen as a television journalist — including six years as the Queensland Correspondent on Sunrise.
Ms Stone also brings a personal connection to the Police portfolio, through her husband Queensland Police Detective Inspector Mark Mooney.
David Fraser
Chief of staff to Youth Justice Minister Laura Gerber
David Fraser returns to government after previously serving as Jarrod Bleijie’s chief of staff during the Newman era.
Tony Meredith
Chief of staff to Transport Minister Brent Mickelberg
A trusted adviser to David Crisafulli, Tony Meredith joins the government’s chief of staff ranks after playing a pivotal role in Opposition as the LNP’s policy director.
Before joining Mr Crisafulli’s office in 2021 Mr Meredith worked at Transurban as a stakeholder manager for nearly seven years.
Angus McCaffrey
Interim chief of staff to Local Government Minister Ann Leahy
Sydney-born and raised Angus McCaffrey comes to state government after being plucked from New South Wales.
He previously worked in the office of New South Wales Premier Dominic Perrottet before the Liberal Nationals were turfed from government in 2023 after 12 years in office.
Mr McCaffrey comes from a prominent Sydney family and is one of 11 children. His brother is former rugby union player Lachlan McCaffrey.
His father is Dr Simon McCaffrey, a gynaecologist, and former president of anti-abortion lobby group NSW Right to Life.
The McCaffrey family have been significantly involved in politics, with Angus running for the Democratic Labour Party in the seat of North Sydney, then held by Joe Hockey, as a fresh faced 19-year-old in 2013.
Matt Adams
Chief of staff to Housing Minister Sam O’Connor
Matt Adams is a former in-house lobbyist for Star Entertainment who left the gambling giant in June to take up a role with Twiggy Forrest’s Squadron Energy.
Mr Adams’ new role as chief of staff to Housing Minister and LNP young gun Sam O’Connor marks a return to government for the former policy adviser who worked under Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney during the Newman era.
Matt Jensen
Chief of staff to Primary Industries Minister Tony Perrett
Matt Jensen has spent the last six years working as a policy adviser in Opposition, including across resources, agriculture and energy.
He grew up in rural and regional Queensland and went to school in Bundaberg.
Mr Jensen’s father was a fourth generation cane farmer.
Nicky Haydon
Chief of staff to Minister for Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism Fiona Simpson
Former journalist Nicky Haydon returns to state government after nearly a decade, previously spending just over a year as a senior media adviser to Lawrence Springborg when he was Health Minister.
Ms Haydon comes from peak motoring body the RACQ where she was most recently its media relations manager.
She has spent about 15 years working across the Seven Network and Network Ten as a senior journalist and executive producer.
Kate Samios
Chief of staff to Environment and Tourism Minister Andrew Powell
Former Young LNP President Kate Samios comes into government after time as a policy adviser in Brisbane City Council.
Anna Hilton
Chief of staff to Child Safety Minister Amanda Camm
Media and communications specialist Anna Hilton joins the government fold from LNP headquarters, where she was among the team centrally co-ordinating the party’s messaging through the election campaign.
Ms Hilton’s online footprint is minimal but her work history includes a stint at the Lung Foundation of Australia.
She previously served as a media adviser in the Newman government, including under then-Treasurer Tim Nicholls.
Kristin McGill
Chief of staff to Sport and Racing, Olympic and Paralympic Games Minister Tim Mander
Political staffer Kristin McGill comes into state government ranks after a number of senior adviser roles, including in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s office.
Alissa Lang
Chief of staff to Customer Service and Small Business Minister Steve Minnikin
Long-time NSW Liberal staffer Alissa Lang has worked predominantly as a marketing executive in party headquarters through the last decade.
Bleijie’s massive rail backflip sparks residents fury
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie takes great delight in going after Labor on the floor of parliament. But he should face some questions of his own after appearing to walk away from a key election promise to his own community.
Transport minister admits long-debated Sunshine Coast rail cost unknown
The state government does not know how much it will need to spend to fulfil its major election pledge to build the Sunshine Coast Rail to Maroochydore by 2032.