Crisafulli breaks ‘dedicated’ local government minister promise

David Crisafulli told hundreds of Queensland’s local councillors that he’d have a dedicated minister for local government. Why did he change his mind?

David Crisafulli delivers a speech at the Local Government Association of Queensland conference in Brisbane in the final week of the election campaign. Picture: Liam Kidston

New Queensland Premier David Crisafulli appears to have broken an election promise to the state’s hundreds of local councillors that his Liberal National Party government would appoint a dedicated minister for local government and a minister for better regulation, just weeks after making the campaign pledge.

Days before the October 26 state election, Mr Crisafulli told the Local Government Association of Queensland annual conference in Brisbane that within 100 days of being elected, an LNP government would cut red tape by setting up a taskforce consisting of representatives from the LGAQ, councils, state departments, and “a minister for better regulation and a minister for local government”.

He went on to promise a dedicated local government minister.

“I want you to know that my belief is you are best served by having a dedicated minister for local government whose focus, when they sit around that cabinet table, is your interests,” Mr Crisafulli said. “And I think you’ve seen with Ann (Leahy, the then shadow spokeswoman for local government) over the four years just how much she values being your flag-bearer and taking your cases forward when it comes to our policy positions.”

At the time, Meaghan Scanlon was Labor premier Steven Miles’s minister for local government, but she also had responsibility for the portfolios of housing, planning and public works.

When the LNP won government and Mr Crisafulli picked his cabinet, he made Ms Leahy not only the minister for local government but also water, fire, disaster recovery and volunteers.

And there is no minister for better regulation.

David Crisafulli, in front of Ann Leahy, at the Local Government Association of Queensland conference in the final week of the election campaign. Picture: Liam Kidston

Asked whether this represented a broken promise, a spokeswoman for the Premier did not directly answer the question.

She said Ms Leahy would be “the dedicated minister for local government” even though she also had “responsibility for water and disaster recovery, which are two of the biggest challenges facing local government”.

The spokeswoman said Steve Minnikin was the minister for ­customer services, open data and the minister for small and family business and “both portfolios had a focus on removing red tape and regulation”.

Opposition Leader Mr Miles said Mr Crisafulli’s word counted “for nothing”.

“That’s David Crisafulli’s sixth broken promise in just over a week, after he broke his promises to appoint Ros Bates health minister, himself tourism minister, keep his cabinet intact, keep the majority of directors-general and scrap pill testing at this year’s Schoolies,” Mr Miles said.

LGAQ chief executive Alison Smith said Ms Leahy’s portfolio responsibilities of water and disaster recovery were of “critical importance to councils”.

“The local government sector looks forward to having a strong voice bringing them together at the cabinet table,” Ms Smith said.

Deciding the future of Townsville mayor Troy Thompson – currently under investigation by the state’s corruption watchdog – will be one of the first challenges for the local government minister.