Last Week in Queensland – 26 June 2017

Last week in Queensland, Paul Pisisale’s arrest, a boxing match, and the Premier’s trade mission to the US, dominated news*.

 

Governing

• Proposed labour hire regime criticised www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/proposed-palaszczuk-government-bill-hands-cfmeu-power-to-appeal-licensing-of-labour-hire-firms/news-story/e76416c5344d78861578013c75fe1801
  • … and industry says proposed labour hire laws won’t work http://www2.staffingindustry.com/row/Editorial/Daily-News/Australia-Proposed-labour-hire-law-destined-to-fail-says-Chief-Executive-of-the-Recruitment-and-Consulting-Services-Association-42516
    

    Premier Palaszczuk

• Premier pursuing biofuel options in US www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/premier-busy-shoring-up-jobs-in-biofuel-industry-during-us-trade-mission/news-story/51819035571591b637f316d46bcabc6a and www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/annastacia-palaszczuk-us-tour-premier-touts-queenslands-1-billion-biofuels-industry/news-story/3b30317b374c802f7556238b15eee612
  • … and wants a battery factory in Queensland www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/premier-wants-teslastyle-battery-factory-for-queensland/news-story/0d35ad2a6817862ae9cd234a612e0144
  • … and locks in a new biorefinery http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/12496/New_biorefinery_planned_for_Queensland__Australia/
• Cyclone Debbie motivates emergency services overhaul www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/cyclone-debbie-lessons-lead-to-overhaul-of-states-emergency-protocols/news-story/1a1413975889e69ca1dd752ae3ef6753
  

  Education Minister Kate Jones

• Federal education funding decision puts pressure on Queensland budget www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/gonski-20-queensland-schools-held-to-ransom-for-share-of-235bn-commonwealth-cash/news-story/936069b9d59b24aada657088257540b7 and www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/23/gonski-20-states-say-they-will-face-budget-nightmare-under-school-funding-changes
• Will states levy bank taxes? www.couriermail.com.au/business/qld-could-squeeze-300-million-annually-from-the-big-banks-with-its-own-version-of-bank-tax/news-story/c2445a21742070a230aa51567dfa8244
• Sister State relationship with Nevada? www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/annastacia-palaszczuk-meets-nevada-governor-to-establish-sister-state-agreement/news-story/e79a6773ef1a5998341dcbc45e5a03b6
• KPMG hired to vet public sector jobs surge www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/palaszczuk-pays-kpmg-to-review-labors-jobs-surge/news-story/e00582d65d4e6736d2445fe09d583766
• Queensland probes supply chain for dodgy building products www.afr.com/real-estate/building-material-imports-queensland-to-probe-national-market-supply-chain-20170620-gwuvow
• Queensland Government calls for open mind on power solution www.theage.com.au/queensland/queensland-calls-for-open-mind-on-power-station-20170621-gwvc7h.html
• State Government contemplating electric vehicle charging station rollout www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-government-considering-electric-vehicle-charging-rollout-20170619-gwtt4l.html

 

Opposition and Crossbench

Rob Pyne, MP for Cairns

• Cairns MP agitates for an ICAC to replace Crime and Corruption Commission www.cairnspost.com.au/news/cairns/cook-ratepayers-back-cairns-mp-rob-pynes-call-for-queensland-icac/news-story/a09dc545f6db9b76b0bbba3a63f3e593
• Liberal-National Party promises Veterans’ Affairs Minister www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/vets-to-get-minister-under-lnp/news-story/35f84278b3ff4a7ada39823aa5794895
• Opposition criticises domestic violence measures www.9news.com.au/national/2017/06/20/12/42/domestic-violence-measures-criticised
• Nicholls labels Government soft on crime www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/opposition-leader-tim-nicholls-on-a-trip-to-the-glitter-strip-says-residents-biggest-fear-is-the-return-of-outlaw-motorcycle-gangs/news-story/7cb831b9639a35742ef9bb204b9242f8

 

Politics

• Labor divided over Adani mine www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/fresh-divide-between-state-and-federal-labor-over-support-for-adani-coal-mine/news-story/5a19d01b69652cbbbf53e35f1865cf8e
  

  Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce

   

• State budget bickering and insults www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/budget-for-all-qld-not-just-labor-seats/news-story/8b3763a9562c270c43f7550bb6bf44cd
• Liberal-National Party calls in Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce to help secure regional seats www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/barnaby-joyce-to-campaign-for-lnp-at-queensland-election/news-story/8e1860d1ffa290e3d5ba5ab045b81835
• Aspirants line up to replace Pisisale www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/former-cop-the-second-ipswich-councillor-hoping-to-replace-pisasale-as-mayor-20170622-gwwp0g.html
  • … though he apparently had second thoughts about resigning www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/crime-and-justice/former-ipswich-mayor-paul-pisasale-a-man-with-no-comebacks/news-story/bca86a1599d95de955ac8e5b78a8bd75

 

Community

• Major backlog for TB vaccine www.news.com.au/lifestyle/parenting/kids/5000-queensland-babies-on-waiting-list-for-tuberculosis-vaccine/news-story/e015a3d08b91bff9633a9fb250b89214
• Safe Schools program funding cuts www.ldphub.com/general-news/government-axes-critical-teacher-training-237930.aspx
• Two areas getting 80% of Brisbane’s new homes www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/brisbane-property-greenfield-sites-and-inner-city-bear-burden-on-80-per-cent-of-new-homes/news-story/3fabb3e0b4d6e9494a5d8fb068e97b18

 

Economy and Infrastructure

• New Hope claims land court judge was biased www.southburnetttimes.com.au/news/new-hope-accused-judge-of-bias/3193077/
• Cabcharge allowed to buy Yellow Cabs www.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/accc-will-not-oppose-cabcharge-plan-to-buy-brisbanes-yellow-cabs/news-story/3f783d6a85e644c0d1380a4820c7b4be
• Mining industry labels public servants “enviro-cops” www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/government-defends-bureaucrats-labelled-envirocops-by-mining-companies/news-story/3bf6922b06c751707a48111ee8b9bfaa
• Massive development proposed above Brisbane’s Queen Street Mall www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/tower-would-house-1000-residents-above-queen-street-mall-20170621-gwvsmu.html

 

Parliament

Federal Parliament House

• Queensland’s Parliament next convenes from Tuesday 18 July to Friday 21 July, for Estimates Committee hearings about the budget
• Federal Parliament has commenced their long winter break, and next sits from Tuesday 8 August to Thursday 10 August
• The notice paper for the next sittings of the Queensland Parliament can be downloaded here www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/sitting-dates/latest-sitting-dates
• The Queensland Parliament’s summary of what’s new, including newly-introduced and passed legislation, is here www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/whats-new
• The forward agenda for the Federal Parliament can be found here www.dpmc.gov.au/resource-centre

 

Sleeper Issues?

Paul Pisisale

• Pisisale – new charges and he’ll fight them www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/06/21/ex-mayor-pisasale-plans-fight-charges
• Queensland land-clearing rates equal Brazil’s www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-19/land-clearing-rates-qld-need-to-be-lowered-new-study/8628524

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

* We’re not representing that this is a complete coverage of news in Queensland – it certainly isn’t, and it’s what we find interesting or important, and sometimes what’s unusual.  Some of the links will require subscriptions to read content.

 

 

 

Last Week in Queensland – 12 June 2017

Budget “leaks”, Ipswich Mayor Paul Pisisale’s resignation, and Adani mine’s investment go-ahead dominated the news* last week in Queensland.

 

Governing

• State budget contents announced in advance: cost of living concessions, child safety, infrastructure www.couriermail.com.au/business/queensland-state-budget-2017-5b-in-concessions-to-ease-cost-of-living/news-story/68903e68929253c72f985174c4f7872b
  • … and increased Police numbers and training www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-11/counter-terrorism-training-facility-wacol-brisbane-qld-police/8608180
    

    Treasurer Curtis Pitt, with Deputy Premier Trad and Employment Minister Grace

     

  • … and new schools www.theurbandeveloper.com/first-inner-city-brisbane-school-decades/
• Queensland public service grows www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/queensland-treasurer-breaks-his-own-rules-on-public-servant-jobs/news-story/7e5158a483563a9b0c99580b3762086a
  • … while Treasurer says a return to AAA rating remains a target www.afr.com/news/politics/queensland-strives-to-reclaim-aaa-rating-20170607-gwmwet
• State government agencies opposing one another in Court www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-05/qld-government-departments-in-battle-over-plan-to-mine-river/8583040

 

Opposition and Crossbench

• Liberal-National Party trumps Roma St entertainment proposal www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/lnp-trumps-brisbane-live-plan-for-roma-st-railyards-with-grander-vision/news-story/d3d25f40b35638f4e71f560f6c9c489e

 

Politics

• Liberal-National Party experiments with Chinese Branches www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/gold-coast-lnp-chinese-heritage-branch-gets-mixed-reception/news-story/f97a406165f8fded9359ef6dae27724e
• Federal Health Minister accuses Queensland Government of lying www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/just-lies-minister-slams-health-campaign/news-story/338554c09034a78aa65d4b4e51986303
  

  Paul Pisisale

   

• Former One Nation Party Treasurer (temporarily?) gagged from releasing recordings www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-08/pauline-hanson-court-injunction-to-stop-abc-using-recordings/8599988
• Queensland’s most popular politician resigns amid health and corruption questions www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/its-been-a-long-way-to-the-top-for-queenslands-most-popular-politician-paul-pisasale-20170606-gwlvqn.html

 

Community

• Police evaluating terrorism capabilities www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/queensland-police-numbers-boosted-in-face-of-increasingly-complex-terrorism-threat-20170611-gwourf.html
• Police Union wants “no pursuit” policy scrapped www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-police-no-pursuit-policy-should-be-scrapped-union/news-story/d41ab55299b3022548361f31b22596d6

 

Economy and Infrastructure

• State budget to focus on infrastructure spending: see under “governing” above
• Adani Board gives final investment approval www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-06/adani-board-pushes-ahead-carmichael-coal-mine-palaszczuk-says/8593042
• Queensland’s apprenticeship numbers plummet www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/tradie-crisis-looms-for-queensland-as-apprenticeships-halved-in-past-four-years-20170610-gwoq3z.html
• Government investment in Mackay biorefinery http://biofuels-news.com/display_news/12441/queensland_government_invests_big_in_biorefinery/
  

  Energy Minister Mark Bailey

   

• Powering Queensland Plan and Powering North Queensland Plan www.mccullough.com.au/publications/f/View/269521 and www.afr.com/news/politics/annastacia-palaszczuks-116bn-energy-package-20170605-gwkgdc
• Cross River Rail project funding hopes dashed www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/06/09/qld-cross-river-rail-funding-hopes-dashed
• International visitors to Queensland spend big www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-tourist-operators-benefit-from-recordbreaking-52b-spending-spree-by-foreign-visitors/news-story/8be4fe721b627ea06d59afd1e495c082

 

Parliament

• Queensland’s Parliament sits this week from Tuesday 13 June to Friday 16 June – this is budget week, and the State budget will be presented on Tuesday
  

  Queensland Parliament, early 20th century

• The notice paper for the next sittings of the Queensland Parliament can be downloaded here www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/sitting-dates/latest-sitting-dates
• The Queensland Parliament’s summary of what’s new, including newly-introduced and passed legislation, is here www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/whats-new
• Federal Parliament sits this week, from Tuesday 13 June to Thursday 15 June
• The forward agenda for the Federal Parliament can be found here www.dpmc.gov.au/resource-centre

 

Sleeper Issues?

• Environmental movement demanding minority Government pass legislation www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2017-06-07/wild-rivers-legislation-battle-reignites-as-environmental-group/8596674
• Toowoomba Hospital cancer under-dosing scandal www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/toowoomba-hospital-accused-of-underdosing-chemotherapy-on-cancer-patients/news-story/32819a1b4d9b757f77e998763da5a555

 

 

 

 

 

 

* We’re not representing that this is a complete coverage of news in Queensland – it certainly isn’t, and it’s what we find interesting or important, and sometimes what’s unusual.  Some of the links will require subscriptions to read content.