Premier Steven Miles has done easy bit, now his fate sits with three Qld ministers
Unveiling his new cabinet on Monday, Premier Steven Miles is hoping his revamped team will help turn around the tired third-term Labor government’s fortunes.
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It’s easy to change a title but it’s harder to change a government.
Steven Miles unveiled his new cabinet on Monday, the team he hopes will help turn the tired third-term Labor government around.
On paper, the Premier’s ministerial shake up is a straightforward one.
If the state election were being held today, Labor’s campaign slogan would be “back to basics”.
The new leader is ditching the Olympic Games glitz and instead attempting to connect with Queenslanders fed up with young criminals, unable to find a place to live or struggling to pay the bills.
Beyond the five new cabinet faces, there are four major changes in the ministry.
The first is the removal of a minister for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
It is the most significant rejection of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s old ways and a major signal Mr Miles will continue to stamp his own brand of leadership on the government.
Ms Palaszczuk’s three Olympic-related portfolios have been axed and absorbed into a backroom within the office of new State Development Minister Grace Grace.
Handing Police Minister Mark Ryan responsibility for community safety and giving education and youth justice to Di Farmer are two other major changes aimed at getting crime – the most damaging issue for Labor – under control.
The last major gamble is giving the capable Meaghan Scanlon more economic clout to complement her efforts around housing.
She must deliver results because housing, like crime, is an election loser for Labor.
The fate of the Miles Labor government depends on the outcomes in these three areas.
Expect to see early positive change from the more agile Miles government, but the natural honeymoon gifted by voters when a new leader visits Government House won’t last.
Queenslanders will rightly expect tangible and measurable outcomes in these next 10 months or risk a brutal verdict from voters.
The eight assistant ministers sworn in on Monday are also being put on notice.
Queenslanders will rightly expect outcomes and hard work for the extra $90,110 they’re paid on top of a $170,000 base salary.
Originally published as Premier Steven Miles has done easy bit, now his fate sits with three Qld ministers
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