Jarrod Bleijie headhunted seven members of Olympic Games infrastructure review
The process for choosing the team in charge of reviewing Queensland’s Olympic Games infrastructure has been revealed, days after the Premier refused to detail how they were chosen.
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The seven powerbrokers in-charge of review Queensland’s Olympic Games infrastructure were headhunted, Deputy Premier and Infrastructure Minister Jarrod Bleijie has confirmed, days after the Premier refused to detail the selection process.
Mr Bleijie, speaking at the Property Council’s annual Christmas lunch, revealed the government “headhunted the best of the best to get the job done”.
The seven-person independent Olympic infrastructure advisory board is tasked with the 100-day review of the state’s 2032 Games venues.
The board is chaired by veteran property executive Stephen Conry AM and includes North Queensland powerbrokers Jamie Fitzpatrick and Laurence Lancini, Property Council Queensland head Jess Caire, and industry heavy-hitters Jill Davies, Tony Cochrane, and Sue Johnson.
Labor has questioned the independence of the seven experts, with Premier David Crisafulli in recent days refusing to provide details about the selection process.
On Sunday, Mr Crisafulli repeatedly declined to say how the seven experts appointed to lead his long-awaited 100-day review were chosen.
Instead, he challenged anyone to find fault in their credentials.
“There wouldn’t be too many Queenslanders who would look at that list and not think that the skill set in the mix is going to deliver some great recommendations in 100 days,” he said.
Mr Bleijie, reflecting on media questioning him about the appointment process, divulged “exactly how the panel was chosen to get this job done and build the infrastructure of the future”.
“The government headhunted the best of the best to get the job done. It is a board that knows how to build things,” he said.
“So that’s how they were chosen. I researched them, I headhunted them, I appointed them within 30 days of the new government taking office.”
Deputy Opposition Leader Cameron Dick slammed the government’s process and said it smacked of “soft corruption” and was an insult to Peter Coaldrake’s Let the Sunshine In report on public sector accountability.
“That is the same broken approach David Crisafulli used to appoint his directors-general, where there was no clear process, criteria and explanation,” Mr Dick said.
“(This) approach to government appointments sends a chilling message to 250,000 Queensland public servants that proper process has been abandoned and that the personal preference of the Premier and his minister is now the order of the day.”
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