Queensland election 2017 opinion: Public sees through fake promises

QUEENSLANDERS need a break from promises that are so unrealistic, so hollow or so downright ridiculous they make a mockery of the democratic system, writes Mike Colman.

Voters need a break from politicians’ promises.

GREENS candidate Michael Berkman is spot on. Queenslanders need a break.

A break from politicians who think the way to win votes is to make promises to the electorate that are so unrealistic, so hollow or so downright ridiculous as to make a mockery of the democratic system.

How gullible do they think we are?

It’s as if, whenever an election rolls around, each of the candidates is handed a magic wand with which to solve all the problems that have been driving voters to distraction for years.

Sick of sitting stuck in traffic on the M1? Don’t sweat it, says Tim Nicholls, I’ll build you another one with this lazy $500 mill I’ve got in my back pocket.

But isn’t it going to cost four times that, we ask?

Relax, says Tim reaching for his magic wand.

Befitting rugby league’s status as a religion in Queensland, the Greens are promising a public holiday for State of Origin III.

Worried about all the land clearing going on around the state? I’ll put an end to it, says Annastacia Palaszczuk. But didn’t you try that and get thumped by the farming lobby, we ask?

Abracadabra, says Annastacia, making a $30 million compensation package magically appear.

Wow. $530 million and it’s only the first week. Imagine how much magic money they’ll come up with by November 25.

And imagine how outlandish the promises are going to get – though they’ll still have to put their thinking caps on to outdo Michael Berkman.

For those who missed it, he is the Greens candidate for Maiwar and he reckons Queensland needs a public holiday to celebrate State of Origin Game III.

If the rest of the country didn’t already think all Queenslanders were Origin-obsessed hicks walking around with hayseeds in their mouths, they do now.

It’s not only the footie faction Berkman is trying to woo. He also wants state-wide public holidays to recognise International Women’s Day, National Parks and indigenous Australians.

His reasoning?

“Queenslanders deserve a break. Four extra public holidays would mean millions of Queensland workers get a chance for a day off,” he said.

Greens candidate Michael Berkman is on to something.

The Queensland Chamber of Commerce and Industry estimates an extra public holiday would cost the local economy $60 million, but Berkman believes the opposite and cites China as proof.

“Evidence from China shows that, when extra public holidays were created, consumer spending jumped 15 per cent.”

Forget that China has a population 350 times greater, workers only get around 10 days paid annual leave a year and, when they do get a public holiday, they work weekends to make up the lost time, but, hey, good comparison.

So why stop at four? How about a public holiday on March 25 to mark Queensland’s first Sheffield Shield win? Or a King’s Birthday long weekend in honour of Wally Lewis.

And of course, National Greens Day on April 1.

Seriously, the only promise I want to hear from candidates over the next few weeks is that they won’t make any more promises.

But won’t they break that one as well, you ask?

Absolutely – and that’s a promise.

Originally published as Queensland election 2017 opinion: Public sees through fake promises