Miles government report card 2024: Best and worst ministers rated
Our state politics team have given their verdict on the Miles government’s performance, with one minister receiving an E- for their efforts. VOTE NOW
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Coming off a low bar, Premier Steven Miles and his mediocre ministers are working harder than the state government has in eight years – but it’s largely to fix the crises they’ve created.
The ascension of Miles to the top job in December lifted a weight off old ministers and paved the way for new ones.
They’ve attempted to fix baked-in crime and housing challenges and splashed temporary cash on every Queenslander to ease worsening cost of living pressures.
Most get a pass mark for attempting to turnaround the state’s direction under the premier, but one question hangs over Miles’s head: Why didn’t you do this while deputy premier?
Expect a different leader if he defies the odds and wins on October 26.
Overall government mark: C+
Steven Miles: B
Premier
In a 10-month pre-election audition Steven Miles has unashamedly put populist politics at the centre of his agenda.
He has moved quickly in attempts to fix the government’s pain points: Housing, cost of living, health and crime – and is more nimble than his predecessor Annastacia Palaszczuk.
In 50c fares he delivered the first widely-popular government policy in years.
Supporters say he’s pragmatic, caring and genuinely driven by improving Queensland.
He’s marked down for suddenly finding his convictions despite sitting as deputy premier – and leader of Labor’s powerful Left caucus – alongside Ms Palaszczuk for three years.
He showed poor judgement in taking two jets around Queensland on a crime tour that doubled as an election ad and is bizarrely pushing for the government to get into the business of running fuel stations to win votes.
Mr Miles also refused to unpack boxes and move into the premier’s office at parliament, but was content spending $339,000 of taxpayer cash to boot Ms Palaszczuk’s Director-General Rachel Hunter in favour of Mike Kaiser.
Overall: Has given Labor a new gear, but is burdened by his history and is running out of time.
Cameron Dick: C-
Deputy Premier and Treasurer
Queensland’s Robin Hood treasurer.
He’s a brawler – the government’s best performer in parliament this past year and the most effective at taking the fight to Opposition Leader David Crisafulli.
Maintains he never broke a 2020 election promise of no new taxes – despite this term unfreezing coal royalties and introducing a new 5 per cent racing levy on top of the betting tax.
To date, the treasurer raised almost $10bn in extra coal royalty revenue through the changes.
Part of it has been allocated to the state’s $107bn building program, but a quarter was this year used to fund the short-term, politically-driven electricity bill rebate.
Heading into the election campaign Mr Dick – who once brandished the first $1 note he earned as an example of his careful expenditure – has handed the government credit card to Mr Miles and removed its limit.
Ultra-ambitious – arrogant according to critics – the deputy premier has his eye on the top job.
Should Labor fall short, he’ll be a hot chance as opposition leader.
Overall: Rallying Labor MPs for a fight, but needs to captain the ship to reach his potential.
Grace Grace: C
State Development and Infrastructure Minister
A Labor powerbroker instrumental in making Miles premier of Queensland has been given a heavier workload in return.
Now with responsibility for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Grace got off on the wrong foot by tapping Brisbane Lord Mayor Graham Quirk to do an independent review of venues while working on another plan with the premier to reject a new stadium and instead use Nathan’s 40-year-old Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre for the Games.
As industrial relations minister, Grace was slow to respond and condemn the CFMEU’s actions as members blocked access to construction sites and brawled with workers attempting to do their job.
Deserves credit for driving a national campaign that culminated in a ban on the use of engineered stone in December.
Pursued nation-leading reproductive health and superannuation payments on all parental leave for public servants.
Overall: With extra responsibility has stamped her mark on the Miles government – for better or worse
Shannon Fentiman: B-
Health Minister
A political animal who entered the term as a lowly employment minister before rising to come within a whisker of occupying the premier’s office in December.
She’s been more agile in the troublesome health portfolio than Yvette D’Ath but on the key statistics she, like her predecessors, has fallen short.
Ambulance ramping is now the worst on record at 45 per cent and, despite bright spots in areas like cardiac surgery and orthopaedics, hasn’t been able to bring down overall specialist waitlists.
Championed satellite hospitals in almost exclusively Labor-held electorates but loses points for refusing to listen to experts and change their name.
Has a lengthy list of accomplishments including championing women’s reform, criminalising coercive control, delivered IVF laws and directed doctors to help rape victims within 10 minutes.
Marked down for misquoting LNP counterpart Ros Bates on social media during the infamous ‘cross your legs’ saga – which unleashed a torrent of abuse from spineless keyboard warriors.
Overall: An effective and ruthless politician who, like Cameron Dick, is fixed on bigger things.
Yvette D’Ath: C
Attorney-General
Relegated back to the Attorney-General role after struggling to counter-attack the opposition’s persistent criticism of the health system.
D’Ath’s glacial pace in delivering critical amendments to the Crime and Corruption Commission’s reporting powers – that would have likely paved the way for reports into Jackie Trad and Peter Carne to be released – means they still haven’t been.
Passed shield laws for journalists, forced organisations working with more than one million children to meet new safety standards and reopened the children’s court after closing it in 2016.
Must be credited for showing up despite intense personal struggles.
Overall: Has done more for Dolphins fandom than in legal reform.
Mick de Brenni: C-
Energy Minister
Must be praised for backing the opportunity of Copper String and rolling out the landmark Queensland Energy and Jobs Plan.
Poorly handled the Callide Power Station explosion and abrogated responsibility when he never sought a briefing from CS Energy and failed to prosecute the government-owned corporation’s claims maintenance was up to scratch.
His side hustle as Leader of the House hasn’t been without challenges, with colleagues privately acknowledging the running of parliament was more clunky with Mr de Brenni in the role.
Deserves credit for guiding ongoing investment in the state’s transition to renewable energy.
Marked down for, like the premier, blindly pushing ahead spending almost $50m buying properties to make way for the Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro scheme without knowing how much it will cost or if it’s viable.
Overall: Miles’s most loyal soldier has its perks, but de Brenni has a mixed record.
Meaghan Scanlon: C
Housing Minister
Passing the easy test of environment minister in a Labor government earned Scanlon a promotion to the tougher housing portfolio.
She has wasted no time getting on the front foot with a $3bn plan which bans rent bidding and aims to build six homes every day for 22 years.
Faced criticism for tapping terminated director general Rachel Hunter to be paid to lead a review of homelessness services, then calling stakeholders asking they back Ms Hunter amid media pressure.
Nearly a decade of housing inaction has also forced Scanlon to pay substantially above market rates for accommodation to house a growing number of homeless Queenslanders.
Going into the election she’s spending most of her days around the Gold Coast and her Gaven electorate, which the LNP has its eyes firmly fixed on.
Overall: Worked hard to fix housing challenges caused in-part by the Labor government.
Mark Ryan: C-
Police and Community Safety Minister
Has moved to neutralise the LNP’s attacks on crime with new choppers in the Wide Bay, Cairns and Townsville, but residents in those areas are rightly asking why he didn’t act earlier.
Unwilling to enforce the need for Queensland Police to fast-track implementations of the domestic violence review.
Struggled to drive police recruitment before delivering a strong turnaround in the past 12 months.
Joined Miles on his controversial jet caravan.
Overall: The LNP knows it’s onto a winner prosecuting Labor’s performance on crime.
Leeanne Enoch: D-
Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships Minister
Unable to reduce Queensland’s social housing waitlist while the responsible minister.
Ms Enoch has progressed Native Title matters since May 2023 and led the state’s Path to Treaty process, but has been unable to effectively attack the LNP’s withdrawal of support on treaty in the wash up of the separate Voice referendum defeat.
Charged taxpayers $126,000 for a 10-day study trip across North America and maintains it was worthwhile because the Museum of Vancouver is preparing to repatriate Queensland First Nations artefacts.
Hasn’t explained if flying domestic business class across North America and staying in Edmonton’s luxurious Fairmont Hotel Macdonald influenced the museum’s decision.
Overall: A proud Quandamooka woman who should have done more to stamp her advocacy on Indigenous issues.
Di Farmer: D+
Education and Youth Justice Minister
Loses marks for Queensland’s education standards remaining the lowest of any mainland state.
According to NAPLAN, two-in-five students aren’t up to the national benchmark in literacy and numeracy.
A dire teacher shortage prompted her to announce up to $30,000 to lure new and trainee teachers to regional and remote parts of the state.
In youth justice, Farmer is focused on early intervention and progressed the opening of pathway schools to keep kids engaged in education.
Tough portfolios, but no major drive to reform.
Overall: Fewer appearances with the Wiggles than her predecessor.
Mark Furner: E+
Agriculture Minister
Once self-dubbed the farmer’s friend, now the fire ant’s friend.
Been in the role since 2017, during which time fire ants have spread across the Great Dividing Range, into New South Wales and even the Moreton Bay islands.
Few legislative achievements and contributed little to the premier’s efforts to stand up to the supermarkets on behalf of farmers and consumers.
Right to strengthen dangerous dog laws and has presided over the state’s booming aquaculture industry.
Overall: Queensland farmers should find a new friend after October 26.
Glenn Butcher: C+
Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water Minister
Battled with former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk internally about the future of water security in the southeast.
He was happy to take a risk with a greater use of recycled water, she wasn’t.
Yet taxpayers will likely stump-up cash for a new multibillion-dollar desalination plant – but won’t know where it’s going or how big it will be until after the election.
Overall: A quiet and capable minister who gets on with it.
Scott Stewart: C
Resources Minister
The former school principal has been a steady hand in resources. While mining is the part of his portfolio that grabs the most headlines, arguably the most work is in Stewart’s carriage of Queensland’s islands including those that have sat unused and rotting in the hands of foreign businessmen.
Marked up for ensuring a far north Queensland island was returned to the state government after a Hong Kong businessman was stripped of a tourism lease for breaching conditions.
Has been absent on the state stage when it comes to what’s next for Mount Isa’s mining industry with Glencore exiting the town.
Also forced to shelve land valuation laws that were meant to streamline process but ultimately had little to no support from industry after a clear consultation and communication breakdown. Going into the election he has been spending most of his time in Townsville where he will need to help defend his seat and two others from the LNP.
Overall: Gets on with the job but doesn’t light anyone’s world on fire.
Leanne Linard: C
Environment, Science and Innovation Minister
Her job has been made significantly easier by Premier Steven Miles, whose first major announcement was more ambitious emissions reduction targets.
Queensland’s protected area still lingers below the targeted rate and the number of threatened species has increased by 75 since 2020.
Overall: An eternal optimist, Linard could do much more in the portfolio.
Nikki Boyd: C-
Fire, Disaster Recovery and Corrective Services Minister
Excelled when faced with several natural disasters just weeks into her first cabinet role.
Struggled when disaster struck her own office.
She had an ill-advised meeting with the Parole Board president despite knowing a complaint about his conduct had been made to the CCC and faced criticism from the LNP for not having departmental staff present for it.
Credit for facing the Parliamentary Media Gallery to answer questions about the saga, and more questions are expected to come.
Review into the Parole Board has been slow.
Overall: Started well but has faded amid internal pressure.
Bart Mellish: C+
Transport and Main Roads Minister
His predecessor Mark Bailey was polarising, but effective.
Mellish has been successful in getting transport off the front page, but the pressure of cost blowouts remains.
While the landmark 50c fare policy was driven by the premier’s office, predictions of armageddon on overcrowded trains and commuter car park carnage hasn’t eventuated.
In half-price Airtrain fares he found a good temporary fix to the shocking Brisbane Airport transport debacle.
Has been excluded from some of the big negotiations between Premier Steven Miles and Brisbane City Council over bus funding and extending the Brisbane Metro.
Marked down for the ongoing feud with the feds over the Bruce Highway.
Overall: Bar was set quite high but Bart’s yet to reach his potential.
Lance McCallum: C
Employment and Small Business Minister
A fresh face in the cabinet following the elevation of Steven Miles as premier in December.
Has driven reforms to inject new life into TAFE and training – partly through the release of the four-year Queensland Skills Strategy.
Extended the free TAFE program to fund up to 70,000 places and will subsidise one million places in health, social services, hospitality, clean energy and construction.
Little to write about helping small businesses as cost of living pressures and inflation bites.
Overall: Gets the most joy from partisan politics and attacking the LNP.
Charis Mullen: C+
Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services Minister
Has managed to avoid controversy in a portfolio rife with problems.
She stumbled at estimates when it was revealed she hadn’t visited a resicare facility until some two weeks before.
Looked awkward criticising the LNP’s plan to reform the child safety system while acknowledging things needed to improve and there might be merit in it.
Deserves points for introducing and passing two pieces of child safety and disability services’ legislation through in her short months in the role.
Overall: Competent minister who’s expected to rise through the ranks.
Michael Healy: C-
Tourism and Sport Minister
Hard to fault any politician enjoying the best job in cabinet – tourism and sport.
Healy is working behind the scenes to splash cash and lure new airlines to Queensland.
He’s passionate about the premier’s extension and increase to the Fair Play voucher scheme, but we’re yet to see him stamp authority on the portfolio.
Faced LNP criticism for inheriting slow development on the Wangetti Trail and being unable to maximise tourism on Queensland’s natural assets.
The state took back control of Double Island off Cairns, now he should ensure it becomes a tourism jewel.
Overall: Like his colleagues, hasn’t burned anything down but hasn’t built much either.
Originally published as Miles government report card 2024: Best and worst ministers rated
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