‘Give us 100 days’: LNP doubles down on another Games review

The news

Queensland’s LNP opposition has stood by its push for a fresh 100-day review of 2032 Games infrastructure planning should it win government in October, despite laws to establish an independent authority passing parliament.

“There are many Queenslanders that are turning off the Olympic and Paralympic Games”, Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie told parliament on Thursday.

Debate on the government bill to establish the long-awaited “legacy delivery” authority began and ended in parliament on Thursday, with the LNP ultimately supporting it and Labor accusing the LNP of seeking a chance to walk back its opposition to the $3.4 billion Victoria Park stadium.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie talked down the authority as “quasi-independent” during his speech, failing in his push to require that it have at least one member from outside south-east Queensland – and conduct a 100-day review.

“We’re saying to the people of Queensland … give us 100 days [from the election] to get this back on track. Give us 100 days with a proper independent co-ordination authority with the sole focus on generational infrastructure, road and rail, to truly show Queensland – including regional Queensland – that they can benefit,” Bleijie told parliament.

Why it matters

LNP leader David Crisafulli first proposed the idea of a new 100-day review, to run from October, after the Miles government’s 60-day venue review led by former Brisbane lord mayor Graham Quirk.

An independent authority was included in the Games pitch, publicly abandoned by the government last year, then promised by Steven Miles as he was elevated to become premier in December.

Crisafulli’s comments in March, including suggestions any authority established by the government would be replaced by one of the LNP’s own, to be named before the election, came before Labor’s laws were introduced to parliament.

While the LNP had criticised Labor for wasting the almost-three years since Brisbane was awarded the Games, International Olympic Committee president Thomas Bach sounded unfazed recently, saying the long lead time meant he was watching progress “in a pretty relaxed way”.

What they said

“There are many Queenslanders that are turning off the Olympic and Paralympic Games because of the mayhem the Labor Party have created,” said Bleijie, also the LNP’s Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure and jobs spokesperson.

Making her opening contribution to the debate, Infrastructure Minister Grace Grace said “now was the right time” to establish the authority, which would be modelled on the groups used for the Sydney and London Games.

“Importantly, the authority, or the authorities board, will be truly independent,” she said.

“This is because the bill enshrines directly into the legislation the requirement for a selection panel comprised of chief executives from the nine delivery partners – that panel will choose by majority vote who will be on the board.”

Grace later said the government would reject Bleijie’s amendments because “we’ve just had a 60-day review”.

“If I didn’t know any better, I would say this amendment is a Victoria Park [stadium] amendment,” Grace said, suggesting the LNP would use a new review to walk back its opposition to the centrepiece Quirk review call for a new $3.4 billion stadium, also rejected by Labor.

Where to from here

In a media release, the government said the authority will start operations in July with an interim chief executive appointed in “coming weeks” and recruitment for up to seven independent directors to “soon commence”.

The new authority will have 18 months to prepare a transport and mobility strategy from the commencement of the laws.

It will also be responsible for delivering venues in time for the Games within budget allocation, along with monitoring and ensuring the delivery of athletes’ villages, and co-ordinating the work of all levels of government in relation to the Games host contract.