Editor’s view: Why sorry really is the hardest word for Miles govt

The Miles government seems to prefer blaming someone such as unnamed bureaucrats arranging ministerial flights rather than copping mistakes on the chin, writes the editor.

Why doesn’t someone in the Miles government take responsibility for its dud decisions?

Remember the days when that undisputed master of the political mea culpa, Peter Beattie, would apologise for anything and everything and promise to do better next time?

It was a well-honed and at times cynical tactic for defusing political problems before others could weaponise them.

And by and large, it worked.

Mr Beattie apologised his way out of countless crises during his time in office – from a branch-stacking scandal, which destroyed several political careers, to the Jayant Patel saga and the on-and-off again Traveston Dam, which cost the state millions of dollars.

Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie. Picture: Britta Campion/The Australian

Mr Beattie proved time and again that apologising can work, especially if you sound sincere enough and include a heartfelt pledge to fix the problem.

Which makes you wonder why Premier Steven Miles and his ministers don’t follow suit.

Last week, Mr Miles and Treasurer Cameron Dick tangled themselves in knots trying to explain away the embarrassing decision to use two jets to fly the Premier, Police Minister Mark Ryan and new police chief Steve Gollschewski across the state to promote the government’s new policing initiatives.

“It’s a very big state,” was the best Mr Miles could come up with, while Mr Dick resorted to the don’t-blame-us defence, insisting “we have a dedicated team that works out the most appropriate aircraft for the number of people that are travelling and the aircraft that are available for use”.

Premier Steven Miles and staff exit a private jet, VH-VKX, at the Government Air Wing, at Brisbane Airport. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen/Courier Mail

Perhaps, but the simple truth is the government was caught out.

Instead of blustering away and sounding defensive, why not just say, “Yes, a dumb idea”, apologise and promise to do better next time, possibly through gritted teeth.

A few weeks ago, Mr Miles faced the big problem of explaining why and how the government unexpectedly decided that the 2032 Olympics stadium should be built at the Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre at Nathan.

The trouble is no one in government seems to know just how the decision to investigate the QSAC option was taken.

Mr Miles says it was “probably” his director-general Mike Kaiser who ordered the review.

State Development department director-general Graham Fraine, the bureaucrat currently in charge of delivering Olympic infrastructure, says he can’t remember who gave the order.

State Development department director-general Graham Fraine. Picture: Dan Peled/NCA NewsWire

In other words, here is one of the more significant decisions relating the Olympics – where to locate the main stadium – and no one in government can actually say for sure how it came about.

For now, the government is offering no apologies and certainly not admitting it’s made a dud call.

Instead, it’s about to hand this particular hot potato to a soon-to-be formed independent Games delivery authority, which is where it should have been in the first place.

Governments have to make big calls all the time, and the armchair critics are always going to find fault with every decision.

QSAC Queensland Sport and Athletics Centre.

But there are two logical ways to respond, either accept and acknowledge you’ve made a bad decision, if that’s what the evidence shows, or have the confidence and the ability to defend your choices.

The Miles government seems to prefer another approach – blame someone or something else – from the unnamed bureaucrats arranging ministerial flights, or, when it comes to cost overruns of big projects, everything from Covid to the Ukraine war.

And if that doesn’t work then pass the buck to, say, an independent Olympic Games delivery authority.

Holding the state to ransom

Earlier this month, after The Courier-Mail reported on the incredible conditions and pay the so called “CFMEU tax” meant for construction workers on big government projects, Premier Steven Miles was unapologetic.

After we revealed that the Best Practice Industry Conditions Policy meant that some workers get a full month of RDOs, double time when it rains and a $1000 a week if they have to work away from home, Mr Miles said: “We are not afraid to take steps to ensure workers are properly paid on government projects.”

If that’s the case, he would be delighted that the militant union is on Tuesday taking industrial action on the Cross River Rail project – which is not a BPIC site – to ensure entry-level workers get paid $240,000 and all workers receive another 20 RDOs.

The project is already $1bn over budget.

When compared to the wages our teachers and nurses are earning, the CFMEU demands are not just unrealistic, they are extortionate.

And of course, construction workers flocking to the ridiculous conditions offered on the state government’s “Big Build” just makes it all the harder for private enterprise to build anything – including the houses and apartments Queensland so desperately needs.

Originally published as Editor’s view: Why sorry really is the hardest word for Miles govt