George Street Confidential: Qld politics news and gossip
The Queensland Government spent over $70,000 looking for someone to fill a new senior Treasury role, but gave up after being unable to find a suitable applicant.
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A recruitment that didn’t go so well for Labor was for the newly created position of Queensland chief economist.
The Government spent $72,797.29 (including GST) on the recruitment, but ditched the process after failing to find a suitable candidate.
George Street Confidential: Qld politics news and gossip
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Instead, long-serving public servant Dennis Molloy, an economist, has been appointed to a similar role.
New Treasurer Cameron Dick insisted the unsuccessful search didn’t happen under his watch, but by filling the role internally he’d actually saved money for Queenslanders.
Given Queensland doesn’t have much of an economy any more, maybe the Government just decided it didn’t need a chief economist after all.
Meddling with the record
Member for Thuringowah Aaron Harper insist it was human error that led to him listing the wrong medal on his parliamentary biography.
And yep, we believe him.
The decorated former ambulance office had, until recently, a National Service Medal (Ambulance) listed under his achievements along with a couple of Australia Day medallions.
That seemed a bit curious, given the National Service Medal was awarded to “Nashos” who completed their service obligations between 1951 and 1972.
Given Harper was born in 1967, that would have made him five at most when got conscripted.
What’s more, he was born in New Zealand.
All an innocent mistake, Harper says.
He’s actually got the National Medal for long and distinguished service in the Queensland Ambulance Service, along with the other gongs.
“I definitely haven’t got a master’s degree,” Harper quipped, in a reference to Education Minister Grace Grace’s online bio.
Bleijie ‘downsizes’
Speaking of human error, last week’s George Street Confidential carried a story about Jarrod Bleijie’s enormous new shed.
At over 400sq m, the $54,000 shed approved for his property would have been about a third of the size of a football field, perfect for a huge do-wop dance.
However Bleijie assures us his new shed is a much more humble 36sq m number that cost $4800.
He’s not sure how the permit for the bigger one came about.
Moving out to the burbs
In other intriguing property news, we hear Jackie Trad prodigy Emily Brogan has taken up new digs in Acacia Ridge.
It’s somewhat perplexing given Brogan had long been anointed to take over in South Brisbane once Trad called it a day.
Perhaps the outer suburban life is more appealing these days after she was shifted from the deputy premier’s office all the way out to the Minister for Fire Trucks, Craig Crawford.
Or maybe there’s another reason why she’s chosen a home right near Peter Russo’s electorate of Toohey.
Hunting Rabbits
Also on preselection skulduggery, the local Labor branch will meet at Burleigh Surf Life Club at 10am today amid concerns about a Coolangatta blow-in becoming their candidate.
Rather than sticking to his local break, surfing identity Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew will run in Burleigh after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Captain’s Call.
Labor is once again talking up its chances on the Gold Coast and reckon the star power of Rabbit will do the trick.
However, given the Premier has been called on to answer branch member questions today, it may be another wipe-out.
Don’t know Left from Right
A slow clap for the “media solutions” specialists from STT Advertising for their efforts this week.
The outfit sent out emails to Liberal National Party MPs about how they’d aided the party at all levels of government, with some helpful examples of their handiwork.
They also sent out an email to Government MPs, but swapped in their efforts with Labor and the unions.
All of it was accurate, of course, but came off looking a little opportunistic when the wrong emails landed in the wrong inboxes.
New recruit
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