New: Queensland police signed off on a controversial multimillion-dollar lease deal for a site in Brisbane’s south without proper approvals and then failed to initially disclose it to the state's audit office.
Scoop: After Australia ruled out an AI copyright exception, the business lobby had a new plan: bypass the copyright system.
A leaked Business Council of Australia doc shows it considered, then ditched, a push to let AI companies train on Australia data without paying.
www.crikey.com.au/20...
not sure when this episode was recorded, but that was the thrust of her submission to the bill's committee process, yes. but govt ended up making last minute changes to actually legislate the slogans, which Twomey has said here now leaves law "wide open to attack" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
After Labor, citing whistleblowers, raised claims in a Feb parli hearing the govt had “informally” seen early details of the draft redraw (which we’ve been unable to verify), the Premier’s office has for weeks refused to even respond w/out Fentiman substantiating. Yesterday it said only this
With Hill (KAP) and Stretton (Labor) abolished, in net terms this would leave the LNP up by 2 or 3, Labor down 1 or 2 and KAP down one. Raue says a 2.9 per cent two-party-preferred uniform swing would now be needed to deprive LNP of their majority (up 1 percentage point).
Caboolture (new) and Gaven land notionally LNP on both Ben Raue and William Bowe’s numbers. The latter’s also has Macalister/Beenleigh falling, just, out of Labor hands. Springfield (new) is notionally Labor.
Despite suggestions from the LNP, independent analysis of Queensland’s draft state electoral map overhaul suggests the party could emerge with up to three extra seats notionally in its column.
Meanwhile, Labor starts throwing around the “rigged” word to describe the process & upcoming election 🧵
Two people have been arrested at a protest outside Parliament House just hours after Queensland’s new hate speech laws came into effect, Catherine Strohfeldt and William Davis report.
Queensland workplace safety inspectors were given unlawful directions to write stop-work notices in response to CFMEU complaints that appeared to target companies that were out of favour with the union, the state's inquiry into the union and construction sector has heard.
The Queensland draft redistribution was published late this afternoon. Unfortunately it was bad timing for a quick response, but I've now published my margin estimates. LNP gain 2 seats, and increase uniform swing needed for them to lose majority from 1.9% to 2.9%. #qldpol www.tallyroom.com.au/64578
NACC publishes investigation report into Robodebt referrals #auspol
Queensland’s probe into the CFMEU and misconduct in the construction sector was also back today, with senior counsel assisting for the first time spelling out four lines of inquiry into “regulatory capture” by the union
some of that early crunching is here already (and not good for Labor in Gaven) bsky.app/profile/poll...
initial pass at the proposed Queensland state redistribution out this afternoon here, which would see Stretton and Hill folded into neighbouring seats, new seats of Caboolture and Springfield, + a bunch of other boundary changes a lotta folks are still trying to work through
The CFMEU inquiry is back, with four WHSQ witnesses called this week. Senior counsel assisting Patrick Wheelahan says he'll lay out a case study of "regulatory capture" of WHSQ by the CFMEU under former minister Grace Grace, described as a form of "institutional corruption".
and of course, as always, sing on out with any tips and tidbits.
DM me, email me (m.dennien@brisbanetimes.com.au), or reach me more securely via mattdennien@protonmail.com or @mattdennien.15 on Signal
The second Public Circus, our weekly Queensland public sector column, is up. And it’s standing room only.
There’s more public sector movement (& cash, to consultants), uncertainty over the State Library’s stripped awards, a bottle of bubbles for the most clued-in at DPC, & a Games boss’ Maserati
“A network of current and former Liberals is quietly behind two childcare groups who call themselves ordinary parents campaigning for the cost of au pairs, nannies and other in-home care to be subsidised by the federal government.”
University of Sydney professor emerita in constitutional law, Anne Twomey, after passage of the Qld govt's pro-Palestine slogan ban, says govt has "cast off the constitutional armour that its bill had carefully constructed, & left its law wide open to attack" www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...
icymi last night
Full wrap: Queensland’s Deputy Premier has launched an inflammatory tirade accusing Labor of supporting terrorists and antisemitism after the opposition party ultimately voted against contentious government hate speech and gun control laws.
from the blog post I shared (and wrote) at that link:
“While voting for the second reading of the bill as flagged earlier this week, all 30 Labor MPs in the chamber voted against the ultimate third reading of the bill to cries of “shame” from the LNP government benches.”
(In contrast to what the morning headline on that blog foreshadowed)
Despite their indications earlier this week, they actually ended up voting against in the ultimate third-reading vote
Breaking: The Queensland government’s contentious hate speech and gun control bill has been passed into law by parliament, with jeers from the government as the Labor opposition ultimately voted against the laws.
Queensland’s State Library will no longer manage the state literary awards on behalf of the government, in response to a long-awaited review into the sinking of a fellowship last year. Who will is so-far unclear.
The Qld government has been told to make high-powered e-motorbikes legal – rather than ban them – over safety fears. But the proposed crackdown will instead target people like Clive Bassett, who uses an electrically assisted recumbent trike, Felicity Caldwell reports.
