Matt Dennien

Queensland politics as it happened: Treasurer wants ‘Canadian-style’ tax reform for Qld; Katter introduces ‘castle law’ bill; LNP tables more posts from Healy Following a fiery sitting on Tuesday, tensions will likely be high in parliament today. Follow our live politics blog for the latest.

read more here:

some key headlines from our Queensland parliament blog today:
- Labor calls on state auditor to investigate victims data change
- Miles defends colleague over antisemitic claims
- Treasurer outlines call for GST shake-up for mining-friendly states
- Katter introduces long-promised ‘castle law’ bill

CFMEU inquiry calls for details on potential Gatto-linked traffic firm Inquiry figures held a media conference outside a traffic equipment supplier on the Gold Coast, urging anyone with information to come forward.

Queensland’s CFMEU inquiry has accused a Gold Coast traffic management operation of having links with Melbourne underworld identity Mick Gatto, in an unusual Wednesday morning media conference outside the firm in which top inquiry figures called for public help.

Opposition raises concerns over transport project’s contract roles The transport department has revealed it awarded commercial roles on “The Wave” to members of a new consulting firm who recently left another government agency.

Queensland’s opposition has raised concerns about a decision to contract out commercial roles on a major infrastructure project to members of a new consulting firm who recently left another government agency. www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/que...

Queensland politics live: Crisafulli walks back AG hate speech powers; ‘Incorrect and insulting’: Government rejects reports on crime data The widely debated hate speech and gun laws will return to parliament this week, and we’ll be there for all the latest news and developments. Follow our live blog here.

Catch up here:

Another change to BT’s coverage in my round: we’re now running a blog on parliament days to help share key events and themes, or anything else of note.

Here’s a snapshot of today’s headlines in that space, including the government’s previously flagged drug reform reversal

The curious case of The Wave contractors and a new consulting firm This week on our Queensland public sector column, Public Circus: a major project brings in the consultants, a harder question for human rights HQ, brand 2.0, and more.

Dive into the first crack via James Hall and I here, and then our DMs (or your safe-for-work comms channel of choice) with all your tips, tidbits and feedback.

It will be frank, it will be fearless. It will poke valid fun (at government, the sector, and the intersections of the two). It may* be funny.

*Depending on your current location on the if-you-don't-laugh-you-cry scale

Last night, we published something new on Brisbane Times: a weekly Queensland public sector column we've called Public Circus.

The tent? Wide enough to stretch from the departmental depths to government-owned corps, frontline figures to City Hall staffers.

Recruiter for $500k council CEO gig quit with concerns over ‘significant internal issues’ Leaked documents show a respected recruiter quit midway through the search for a new Redlands CEO search after flagging what he thought were potential conflicts of interest.

Julius Dennis with some more internal docs from Redland City Council. This time showing a recruiter tasked with finding a new CEO raised conflict of interest concerns before he quit, citing what he saw as significant internal issues. www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/que...

State walks back attorney-general’s powers as Labor moves to support hate speech bill Queensland’s opposition will ultimately back the contentious hate speech and gun law changes, while the government has made a last-minute change to the bill.

In some late pre-parli sitting movement yesterday, the Crisafulli govt will now take the power to ban speech off the attorney-general, and instead write two contested pro-Palestinian phrases directly into laws Labor concedes it will ultimately support despite criticisms.

Council CEO has decade-long conflict with developer – and won’t say when it was registered The council chief Louise Rusan has a family link with local developers Fox and Bell, who are behind some of the area’s biggest projects.

Latest Redland update from Julius Dennis and I: The council's CEO has refused to say whether she had a registered conflict of interest with a local developer when she recommended they pay a reduced fee for a billion-dollar housing development. www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/que...

ICYMI over the weekend: The Queensland Human Rights Commissioner's first interview in the role

How Queensland’s new human rights boss aims to chart a less ‘combative’ course In her first interview as the state’s second Human Rights Commissioner, Debbie Platz opens up about her plans for the watchdog role.

if you thought Qld’s new human rights boss would take a different approach to her predecessor, you’d be right

Council-linked developer puts shops on market months after contentious decision The owners of Redland Bay Shopping village have billed the property as the only shops in the area just months after council canned a rival development.

Update on the Redland City Council Weinam Creek development w/ Julius Dennis:

The owners of a bayside shopping centre who benefited from a council call to can a Coles-anchored rival project are now selling the “blue chip” site w “the only supermarket” servicing area.

Council should redo CEO hire to meet ‘pub test’: Logan whistleblower The whistleblower former chief of a major south-east council believes “irregularities” in the recent $500,000 Redland top job process need to be addressed.

The whistleblower former chief of a major south-east Queensland council believes “irregularities” in the recent hiring of a $500,000 bayside local government’s top job should be addressed in a full redo.

Council CEO hiring process may have broken governance principles, insiders say The bayside council appointed an internal applicant to the $500,000 role last year, despite her not being shortlisted by an independent recruiter.

More from Julius Dennis and I on Redland City Council: Local government principles enshrined in law may not have been fully complied with when the council changed the hiring process for its $500,000 CEO job in a secretive meeting, sources with local governance experience say.

Police will ‘choose their mark’ to enforce protest slogan ban High-ranking police faced questions about how they would crack down on crowds of thousands if they chanted phrases banned under the new laws.

Qld police say they’ll likely lean on video evidence & target individuals rather than make mass arrests to enforce a controversial proposed ban on widely used pro-Palestinian protest phrases prompting concern from experts & civil society groups across the political spectrum.

Police will ‘choose their mark’ to enforce protest slogan ban High-ranking police faced questions about how they would crack down on crowds of thousands if they chanted phrases banned under the new laws.

Qld police say they’ll likely lean on video evidence & target individuals rather than make mass arrests to enforce a controversial proposed ban on widely used pro-Palestinian protest phrases prompting concern from experts & civil society groups across the political spectrum.

#ResolvePM Qld (state)
LNP 34 ALP 26 ON 16 Grn 10 KAP 1 IND 9* other 4

(* likely overstated)

My 2PP estimate 54.6 to LNP (+3.5)

One Nation might win the odd seat here and there. Bad sample for Labor.

#qldpol

One Nation and Crisafulli climb in Queensland as Labor support wanes The minor party has returned its highest result in more than four years of polling for Brisbane Times. But its rise is not at the expense of the LNP government.

Exclusive: Latest polling for BT shows the first signs of a boost to One Nation support (16% primary, up from 9%) at a state level in Queensland, with Labor's primary support and leader's rating falling, as LNP govt stay steady (and Crisafulli hits new highs)

One Nation and Crisafulli climb in Queensland as Labor support wanes The minor party has returned its highest result in more than four years of polling for Brisbane Times. But its rise is not at the expense of the LNP government.

Exclusive: Latest polling for BT shows the first signs of a boost to One Nation support (16% primary, up from 9%) at a state level in Queensland, with Labor's primary support and leader's rating falling, as LNP govt stay steady (and Crisafulli hits new highs)

Leaked documents show council CEO won $500k gig for which she wasn’t shortlisted Redlands chief executive Louise Rusan got the job following a six-month process that saw a recruiter quit and a councillor raise concerns over potential political influence.

Confidential documents show Redland City Council chief executive Louise Rusan was permanently appointed to the job after a six-month process which saw one recruiter quit and a key councillor raise concerns over potential political influence. From Julius Dennis and I

Under the bill, the ban will apply to any phrases, spoken or written, decided by the Attorney-General. Warrantless police stop & search powers will then be extended to anyone suspected of the offence

Submissions are only open until Tue, & the bill likely cleared to pass for parli’s March 3 return

‘Attack on freedom of speech’: Labor faces grassroots push to reject Qld hate laws The Labor opposition is facing pressure from a grassroots movement to vote against the state government’s hate speech laws.

New: Qld Labor is seriously considering opposing the criminalisation of phrases “from the river to the sea” & “globalise the intifada” in the state govt’s hate speech laws, as a grassroots group within the party launches a push to reject the legislation. Story w/ James Hall

‘Attack on freedom of speech’: Labor faces grassroots push to reject Qld hate laws The Labor opposition is facing pressure from a grassroots movement to vote against the state government’s hate speech laws.

New: Qld Labor is seriously considering opposing the criminalisation of phrases “from the river to the sea” & “globalise the intifada” in the state govt’s hate speech laws, as a grassroots group within the party launches a push to reject the legislation. Story w/ James Hall

Warning on Olympic corruption risk after developer donation ban overturned The LNP this week reversed a ban on state political donations by developers and quadrupled the cap, despite the corruption watchdog’s concerns.

Story here. Exclusive: Warning on Olympic corruption risk after developer donation ban overturned

I also spoke with famed Queensland corruption-buster Tony Fitzgerald AC, who now only sparingly adds to public debate. While he declined to weigh in, he said this was because “a whole new generation has to deal with these problems now”.

Neither A-G Deb Frecklington nor committee chair Marty Hunt responded to the concerns or Qs about why the CCC's suggested change was ignored in their discussion of bill feedback. In parli, Frecklington described the concerns as “unfounded” bc caps would remain & “ensure a level playing field".

Since the bill was cleared for passage last week, and rushed through parli on Tuesday, three experts I spoke w/ have raised concerns, incl former snr Qld judge Margaret White AO, the head of the national arm of a global anti-corruption group, & Aus' first anti-corruption commissioner Ian Temby