The Editor: Newman’s arrogance led to his downfall. These two need to learn, fast

Considering the way the LNP behaved when last in office, this government’s future will rely heavily on avoiding any sense of entitlement. They’re off to a worrying start, writes the editor.

These two are yet to learn from Campbell Newman's mistakes.

Questioning the government’s proposed appointment of Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie’s director-general John Sosso to the body that determines the state’s electoral boundaries is not at all about besmirching his reputation, as now seven Crisafulli Government ministers desperately searching for a deflection would have you believe.

Instead, it is about the need to ensure full confidence that the state’s electoral boundaries are fair – a particularly relevant point in Queensland, where for decades last century both parties, when in power, infamously meddled with the system for their own political advantage.

Yes, as Treasurer David Janetzki was so keen to point out on Tuesday, by law a director-general must be one of the three appointments to the Queensland Redistribution Commission – alongside the electoral commissioner and a barrister.

But that argument misses the point here; that all three appointments to the commission should also be uncontroversial, to ensure it is not only independent – but that it is seen to be independent.

Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki didn’t see anything wrong with the appointment. Picture: Dan Peled / NewsWire

Queenslanders must have confidence in that independence, or they could start to question the fairness of the state’s electoral boundaries – which could in turn risk delegitimising the entire government. That is what is at stake here, in a state where – thanks to its still-relevant history – there is already some level of public cynicism in this space.

Another defence given by government ministers for the proposed appointment of Mr Sosso – whose qualifications for the role are not in doubt – is that Labor, in government, appointed to the same commission a director-general considered friendlier to their side of politics.

But saying something is fine “because the other side did it too” is not a strong argument in defence – and certainly not one a government that made hay while in Opposition about the other side’s integrity missteps should be rushing to make.

The man who presided over the historic inquiry that in the late 1980s put an end to the bad old days of Queensland politics made a rare public intervention into all of this over the weekend.

Tony Fitzgerald warned he was concerned about Queensland “reverting to the bad old days of biased electoral boundaries”.

John Sosso’s appointment hasn’t gone down well. Picture: Tim Marsden

Now, his statement was made in an email sent to Labor frontbencher Shannon Fentiman, who then passed it on to The Courier-Mail.

But that should not diminish his message – unless you think Mr Fitzgerald has turned into a Labor acolyte, which surely nobody does.

Instead, his message should have been a wake-up call to Premier Crisafulli – but he is, regardless, stubbornly sticking to his argument that Mr Sosso is eminently qualified. And again, he is. Nobody is suggesting he is not. But what is being suggested is that Mr Sosso might not be the right candidate – because he is, for whatever reasons, a lightning rod for criticism.

There are plenty of qualified directors-general who both sides of politics would back. Mr Crisafulli’s own director-general Damien Walker would be one, having come back to Queensland to work for our LNP Premier after a stint as South Australian Labor Premier Peter Malinauskas’s right-hand man.

Damien Walker could do the job. Why not him?

Mr Sosso has a history of working for LNP governments, and while The Courier-Mail does not suggest he would not be able to be impartial in this role, that is not the point.

The point is – as Opposition Leader Steven Miles has said – that it is critical “we have fair electoral boundaries determined by people who are not just impartial, but are perceived as impartial”.

That seven ministers – including the Premier – apparently disagree with this, well, that’s a real problem.

Considering the way the LNP behaved when last in office, this administration’s future electoral prospects will rely heavily on it avoiding any sense of entitlement or arrogance.

Its obstinate stance on this particular issue – so early in the term – is therefore a worrying sign.

Originally published as The Editor: Newman’s arrogance led to his downfall. These two need to learn, fast