Editorial: Time for David Crisafulli to move on from small target politics

Being a small target worked for David Crisafulli’s campaign, but now that the LNP is in power and their 100-day deadline is looming, it’s time to start answering some big questions.

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli with Treasurer David Janetzki earlier this month. Picture: Kevin Farmer

When new-broom governments take power their first big decision is how vigorously to sweep away the mess the previous lot left behind.

They can follow Donald Trump’s example and swap the broom for a nuclear-powered bulldozer, or as Premier David Crisafulli has chosen to do, they can attack the task at a more cautious pace.

Mr Crisafulli won office with a small-target strategy deliberately designed not to spook voters – no big ideological changes, a pledge of no retrenchments or massive cost-cutting plans, no score-settling, and no witch-hunts.

He did lay out a “comprehensive and ambitious” plan for the first 100 days of his new government. But most of those 40 or so actions were modest rather than ambitious, or clearly the will of the people. They included removing payroll tax for general practitioners and enacting tougher laws for young criminals.

The 100-day deadline is now less than a fortnight away and, as we report today, there are eight tasks yet to be completed by Sunday week – from publishing real-time hospital data to tendering for new regional reset camps for those caught in the youth justice system.

Assuming the government delivers on its word and by February 9 adds those eight to the 35 actions already delivered, it is time for us all to ask what’s next.

After the first 100 days of this administration comes about 2400 or so until the election.

There will need to be a plan.

Last week, Treasurer David Janetzki released a frightening update of the state accounts left behind by Labor – a $45bn increase in state debt in just six months, to $217bn, and once-promised budget surpluses now estimated to be massive deficits. But just as disconcerting as the state of the books was the new government’s apparent lack of urgency to deal with this issue of spiralling debt.

Rather, it has promised to develop the next state budget, to be delivered in June, “in a methodical manner, with the objective to deliver a safe and secure pathway to drive budget improvement with lower debt than under the policy settings of the former government”.

That’s language designed not to frighten anyone – voters or public servants – but it offers little comfort that the new government has a plan to fix things.

Delivering election promises in the first 100 days is a good start. But restoring Queensland’s public finances to good health will require much more.

We’re not suggesting Premier Crisafulli goes all Trump on us, and makes dozens of demands, which in the US President’s case will affect his government and that nation’s economy for years to come, from hiring freezes and killing off Biden-era gender and diversity policies, to mass deportations of undocumented migrants.

But Mr Crisafulli’s lieutenants will need to show more willingness to address the big questions such as: What spending inherited from the Labor government is not actually that necessary; and, do we really need all of the state’s quarter-of-a-million public servants? The answer to both might well be yes, but so far, the Premier has not been game (for obvious reasons) to even ask.

Being a small target might be a good strategy at an election, but once you’re exposed to the reality of being in office, it is time to consider whether to invest in a metaphoric high-powered leaf blower.

Originally published as Editorial: Time for David Crisafulli to move on from small target politics