#qldvotes2020 - Queensland State Election 31 October 2020

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland public servants to be given huge bonus

OVER 200,000 Queensland public servants are set to be given a $1,250 bonus under a staggering quarter of a billion dollar cash splash from the Palaszczuk Government.

Treasurer Jackie Trad announced the extraordinary one-off bonuses in a lunch time media release yesterday — insisting the move was about driving economic growth.

It came as the Government committed to maintaining future public service pay increases of up to 2.5 per cent at a time when Brisbane's most recent inflation rate was recorded at 1.7 per cent.

The bonuses have prompted Opposition claims that the Government is trying to buy votes, with the LNP calling for the payments to be tied to guaranteeing better services.

The payments will apply to almost all public servants, including nurses, teachers and desk workers, who sign up to new agreements finalised between March, 2018 and March, 2021.

But senior executives and senior officers will be exempt.

Ms Trad defended the $1,250 payments, which are expected to set taxpayers back about $250 million and be paid out to about 200,000 workers, saying they would provide additional economic support while "maintaining the budget balance".

"The Governor of the Reserve Bank of Australia last month called for all levels of government to provide additional support above existing caps on wages growth to drive economic growth," she said.

LNP deputy leader and treasury spokesman Tim Mander said the bonuses were a "desperate taxpayer funded cash splash for votes".

"Jackie Trad has already blown the budget by $1.4 billion last year so this taxpayer funded cash splash should be tied to guaranteeing better services as Labor have created a major health crisis with waiting lists blowing out and education results slipping," he said.

Industrial Relations Minister Grace Grace later told reporters that she believed Queenslanders would find that the payments are an "appropriate spend".

"We believe that's good for the economy, we believe it's good for our balanced budget and we believe it's good for workers," she said.

"This is fiscally responsible."

The Minister said some of the payments would be made ahead of Christmas, putting more cash in the pockets of public sector workers during a busy time of the year.

She also said new agreements would include productivity improvement clauses.

The Government yesterday confirmed more than a dozen agreements were still being negotiated, while four have been referred to the Queensland Industrial Relations Commission for arbitration.

Queensland Council of Unions Acting general secretary Michael Clifford said they welcomed the public sector bonuses.

"It should also put pressure on the private sector to lift wage increases," he said.

FMD ... this Govt cannot manage to do basic projects and here is more big dollars down the drain.  Lost me ...

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1175438039755063302

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1175435854824665088

[#Metro]

So $250 million for no net increase in service or production?

This sounds like a pure cash burn.

If you are handing out cash, at least get something in return.

[ozbob]

Editorial Sunday Mail 22nd September 2019 page 60

Cash splash we cannot afford

[ozbob]

Queensland Government

[Stillwater]

It would be interesting to see how many more public servants there are now, since the Campbell Newman purge.

[ozbob]

https://www.cciq.com.au/news/public-servant-bonus-is-a-deeply-offensive-in-drought-ravaged-queensland-cciq/

Public Servant Bonus is Deeply Offensive in Drought Ravaged Queensland: CCIQ

Sunday 22 September, 2019 | By: Dan Petrie

The Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland (CCIQ) calls on the Queensland Government to not proceed with a proposed $250 million cash splash on the state's public servants which is both fiscally reckless and morally wrong when so many small businesses, farmers and families are dealing with drought.

The Queensland Government employs more than 250,000 full-time equivalent public servants which account for almost half of the state's expenditure.

CCIQ Head of Media, Dan Petrie said the announcement of a $250 million payment to public servants is sadly a political decision and follows the rushed announcement that the government will pursue legislation to force retailers into a paying public holiday rates on Christmas Eve.

"At some point the Premier and Treasurer will have to explain to the state's 1.7 million full-time workers why they are not entitled to a bonus, provide a sane reason as to why Christmas Eve is now a public holiday and establish a narrative as to why private sector is not investing in Queensland.

"The treasurer in parliament only a fortnight ago said economic conditions had deteriorated that are perhaps best exemplified by the state's ascent to being the bankruptcy capital of Australia," Mr Petrie said.

CCIQ rejects the notion that this payment will spur economic activity when so many public servants choose to accrue leave than contribute meaningfully to boosting consumption levels in the Queensland economy.

"There are people in regional Queensland who are going without a shower on a daily basis, eating stale food and wrestling with financial distress that is causing genuine mental anguish.

"The small business community is appalled at this announcement and would strongly advise the government to reconsider this move," Mr Petrie said.

CCIQ notes Queensland's spends A$24 billion for 250,000 public servants while New Zealand spends $NZ23 billion for its workforce of 350,000.

[ozbob]

^

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/brisbanetimes/status/1175600855606677504

[Stillwater]

Hopefully the LNP will reveal a few policy directives -- give voters something to compare the two.

[James]

$250 million!!! p%ssed  away into the wind. Absolute disgrace.

Think about the number of BUZ service upgrades which could be funded. The number of outer suburban feeder buses which could be kept going after 5pm. The number of smaller bus priority projects which could be designed & constructed with this money.

It's clear this government has got to go, at least the public service workers get to pig out with a big old cash payment.

[#Metro]

I think RBOT should say something... I can think of many uses for $250 M than paying more for the same goods/services provided by the public sector ... that would be provided anyway without this extra payment.

It's $250 million ... for NOTHING! What kind of project is this?

The Queensland Government's proposal is like going to Coles or Woolies, swiping your credit card, and then leaving your entire grocery shopping cart back at the supermarket.

[ozbob]

Sent to all outlets:

23rd September 2019

Money for nothing ...

Good Morning,

RAIL Back On Track Members are aghast and frustrated that the Government has seen fit to hand out more ' cash bonuses ' to people who are just doing their jobs, and in many cases rather poorly at that. It was bad enough the ' cash bonuses ' to rail crew for the Commonwealth Games, now even more largess.  CPI linked wage and salary increases are fair enough, but that is where it should end.

The money wasted on these cash bonuses for public servants would have been better directed at getting some of these stalled projects below moving and some funding to the cash and resource starved TransLink for bus service improvements throughout Queensland.

Upgrade of Sunshine Coast railway line -  stalled since 2009.

Gold Coast light rail stage 3A - stalled.

Brisbane ' Metro ' - stalled.

Bus network reform - stalled.

Level crossing removal - stalled.

Station accessibility upgrades progressed properly - a number still only being given partial platform raising.

Inland rail to the Port of Brisbane - stalled.

As they say, " you've made your bed, now lie in it ".

These cash bonuses are bad policy and an insult to Queenslanders. This will no doubt hurt the Government in the coming elections.

Robert Dow
Administration
admin@backontrack.org
RAIL Back On Track https://backontrack.org

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/railbotforum/status/1175855722870890496

[ozbob]

Facebook ...

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1175797829383553024

[verbatim9]

LNP Facebook Post----> New roads, More train services,, Sunshine Coast rail duplication and Bne metro services running every 90seconds pledged by the LNP

[#Metro]

^ Too wordy and bad music.

Investing in roads is not a bad idea - provided that it is done mainly outside of the SEQ corner.

No to a second M1. Spend that on GC Regional Rapid Rail.

Maybe we should emphasise the regional aspect of it?

[verbatim9]

^ Too wordy and bad music.

Investing in roads is not a bad idea - provided that it is done mainly outside of the SEQ corner.

No to a second M1. Spend that on GC Regional Rapid Rail.

Maybe we should emphasise the regional aspect of it?

Isn't Regional Rapid Rail a Federal initiative? Pretty certain that the Gold Coast line is progressing from a Federal perspective. The music is ok, like any published video you have to be careful which music you choose due to licensing.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> The battle over Brisbane's most marginal seat has begun with the LNP endorsing Amanda Cooper

THE contest for Brisbane's most marginal State seat has officially begun with the LNP formally picking former councillor Amanda Cooper to challenge Labor's sitting Aspley MP Bart Mellish.

The seat is held by Mr Mellish with a margin of 1.2 per cent. It is considered must-win for the LNP and must-hold for Labor at the October 31, 2020 election.

Ms Cooper officially resigned as the Bracken Ridge ward councillor last week — a ward she has held since 2007 — to run for preselection to contest the Aspley electorate for the LNP.

She was this afternoon endorsed unchallenged.

The Courier-Mail initially revealed she was in the running to contest the seat for the LNP in August.

LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said she was proud to have Ms Cooper as her candidate in the crucial seat.

"We know there is only 376 days before the next election and we will be fielding outstanding candidates like Amanda Cooper all across this great state."

Ms Cooper said she was excited to be running for a state seat before taking aim at Mr Mellish, accusing him and Labor of starving the Aspley electorate.

"It's certainly a real disgrace to see what has happened under the Australian Labor Party," she said.

"The lack of investment in our local community, the shameful ignorance about dealing with the issues that are facing our community ... this has to stop."

Mr Mellish hit back, accusing Ms Cooper of "fleeing her failures" in Brisbane City Council.

"I can only keep working hard and getting results locally," he said of his competition.

Mr Mellish pointed to funding secured for local roads to counter Ms Cooper's attacks.

"We have got a few good local wins.

"We've got a new home for basketball on the northside, we've got some new sporting facilities going into Carseldine and the northern transit way is getting under way."

He was backed by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk who said she was confident Mr Mellish would hold the seat at the State Election in just over 12 months time.

"I know how hard-working Bart is. He is an outstanding local member for Aspley and I have every confidence he will retain that seat no matter who the LNP puts against him," Ms Palaszczuk said.

"And I will have a few candidates of my own that will be ready to announce over the coming weeks as well."

[verbatim9]

A multibillion-dollar drought-proofing scheme for Queensland would be built under an LNP state government. @DebFrecklington says it would generate green power and create a new food bowl. But @AnnastaciaMP wants details on funding. https://t.co/VZ3A1cpmr5 #qldpol #7NEWS https://t.co/YYTThR7nw3


https://twitter.com/7NewsBrisbane/status/1190179795906154496

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Meet Queensland's new power couple

Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter are joining forces after deciding to 'bury their differences' to embark on a landmark tour of Queensland.

QUEENSLAND political mavericks Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter are joining forces in a bid to increase their political clout, influence the next state election and steal support from the major parties.

The informal alliance will begin tomorrow with a landmark joint drought tour in country Queensland, where the Morrison Government is facing pressure to do more to help parched farmers, and the Palaszczuk administration remains under siege from voters.

Senator Hanson labelled Mr Katter an "iconic figure", while the Kennedy MP lauded the One Nation leader's political "courage", revealing the pair was "burying their differences" because they were furious with the Government's drought response. The new political power couple will also crank up pressure on the already tense relationship between some Nationals and federal Liberal MPs.

They will keep their parties separate but work together in Canberra and ahead of next year's crucial state election, where many regional voters are disenchanted with the ALP.

Their four-day "Drought Tour with Pauline and Bob" kicks off tomorrow in Charleville, Cunnamulla and Roma where they will ramp-up criticism of the Federal Government's drought assistance package.

"We have different political parties with very serious differences but we are burying those differences,'' Mr Katter said. "The very serious nature of the drought is why we are burying the politics. And I think any proud Australian does not want to see the nation's third-biggest export industry continue its collapse."

The Government is providing billions of dollars of financial help to drought-stricken farmers. However, Senator Hanson and Mr Katter have accused the Government of being too slow with its responses and have savaged the Nationals for failing their own.

Senator Hanson wants the Government to subsidise accountant costs to help farmers fill out drought assistance paperwork and help with practical issues such as providing more fodder to starving cattle, which is technically a state responsibility, and help them clean out dams, wells and bores.

Both revealed they could also use each other to introduce federal bills, as Mr Katter has no representative in the Senate, and Senator Hanson has none in the House of Representatives.

Senator Hanson said she would continue to pressure the PM not to kick farmers off the Farm Household Allowance after four years "when refugees and unemployed go unchecked".

"If there's one thing the Katters and One Nation have in common, it's that we work for the people and have the country's interest at heart," she said.

"I've spent the past week on fruit and vegetable farms in Bowen and Mackay, cane farms at Proserpine and a dairy farm on the back side of Toowoomba. I will have travelled over 5000km by the end of next week just visiting farmers and rural communities, so I'll have an even better understanding of what this Government needs to do to help drought affected communities."

Mr Katter said the partnership was a new one, but the pair have history.

"Pauline showed immense courage over the issue of (immigration) into Australia. Now, our policies are a lot different than hers on this, but she was the first person that had the courage to stand up and say the things she said. I did what I could for our friendship when people were trying to put her in jail ... I regret we haven't been as close in recent years, but our party people work well with their party people."

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Qld election 2020: Premier to fight them on the beaches, in bush

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has laid out plans for a battle in the bush and on the beaches in the lead-up to October 2020, as the Premier fights to win a third term in office.

In a wide-ranging and exclusive interview with The Sunday Mail while visiting the marginal seat of Maryborough, the Premier also declared she had no intention of vacating the top job just yet.

And Ms Palaszczuk strongly dismissed suggestions her Government should shoulder the blame for federal Labor's shocking electoral drubbing in May.

But she acknowledged the Government had work to do to ensure regional voters did not abandon the party on a state level on October 31 next year.

The Premier told The Sunday Mail it was still her intention not to reshuffle her Cabinet heading into the election, but left the door open should anything change in the next 11 months.

"I can't predict the future but I am very happy with the team and what we have achieved and what we have done together," Ms Palaszczuk said.

She would not name who she believed her potential successors could be within her team.

"I am absolutely comfortable in my position and I have a lot more steam in me to go," she said.

BATTLE OF THE COASTS

Labor wrested Brisbane-based seats from the LNP in 2017 to secure its majority. Ms Palaszczuk told The Sunday Mail of Labor's intention to loosen the LNP's stranglehold on the Sunshine Coast and the Gold Coast this time around as it plots a path to winning the election and the state's first four-year term. That includes the party's hopes to seize on the retirement of high-profile LNP backbenchers Jann Stuckey and Mark McArdle.

"There's a couple of retirements that are happening in the LNP as well and we believe we have our eye firmly fixed on campaigning strongly in those seats."

Ms Stuckey's Gold Coast-based Currumbin electorate is currently held by the LNP with a margin of just 3.3 per cent after Labor managed a 2.4 per cent swing toward it at the 2017 State Election.

The merged conservative party holds Mr McArdle's Sunshine Coast seat of Caloundra with a fractionally larger margin of 3.4 per cent with Labor securing a 1.3 per cent swing towards it last election.

Labor has already announced candidates in both seats. The LNP is yet to name who it hopes will retain them for the party as it works to hold its current 38 seats and to pick up a further nine to wrest power from the ALP.

THE REGIONS

The ALP is also working to regain the trust of regional voters following Federal Labor's drubbing at the May Federal Election, and to move past the bad blood created by the handling of the Adani coal mine. Ministers are being dispatched to the regions on a regular basis. Even parliament was sent north in a bid to appease voters in a city linked to three crucial north Queensland seats.

"I think people know the difference between federal elections and state elections. I don't see Federal Labor taking any responsibility when we win at a state level," the Premier said of the May Federal Election.

"But, having said that, we are all part of the Labor Party and the Labor movement and I think we need to articulate as a party more to workers across the nation about what we stand for and what our values are and I think that's been missing.

"I was perhaps one of the first leaders who actually came out after the Federal Election, recognised that Labor had let people down and that we needed a reset button."

The Premier said she was confident her three Townsville-based MPs and three central Queensland MPs would survive electoral assaults from the LNP and One Nation.

INTEGRITY SCANDALS

The Government goes into the election year after a horror few months of integrity scandals including one that threatened to claim the scalp of Ms Palaszczuk's deputy, Jackie Trad. The Crime and Corruption Commission cleared Ms Trad of wrongdoing but it also recommended new offences to criminalise future ministerial conflict of interest and register of interest breaches. A CCC assessment of allegations against Ms Palaszczuk's former chief of staff David Barbagallo over a $267,500 taxpayer-funded co-investment awarded to a company he part owns remains ongoing.Ms Palaszczuk said there had been problems but insisted the Government was stable. She backed Ms Trad to retain her seat.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland politics: The little town that could save Labor (again)

LABOR credited a campaign reset in Maryborough in the midst of the 2017 state election for helping to save its political skin.

The party had suffered a horror start to its re-election bid up until its "Maryborough moment".

Its message was continually being hijacked by Adani, starting from the second Annastacia Palaszczuk tried to deliver her campaign launch speech.

In comparison, the LNP's then leader, Tim Nicholls, had been having an almost dream run.

But things turned around after Ms Palaszczuk vetoed Adani's Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility loan application, rejigged her campaign team, and jetted to Maryborough – kitted out in hi-vis – to pledge new train-building jobs at the marginal seat's major employer, Downer EDI.

So it was only fitting that Labor would quietly attempt another reset after visiting Maryborough again last week – a reset for the Government, its leadership team, and for Deputy Premier Jackie Trad.

First Cabinet was uprooted and dispatched to Labor's only Wide Bay region seat on Monday to give the green light to a plan to delay the protection of thousands of hectares of land north of Noosa, in a bid to safeguard 500 timber jobs in the region. That Cabinet approved that move is not insignificant. The Left-dominated ministry would normally work to block such a move.

But this time Cabinet fell into line, recognising that it needed to send a message that Labor wanted to protect and support "traditional jobs" if it wanted to avoid the backlash experienced by federal Labor in May.

It can be revealed that Ms Palaszczuk's senior leadership team – including Ms Trad – was then ordered up to the Sunshine Coast on Thursday for its own version of a caucus retreat, designed to clear the air and refocus after a horror run of integrity scandals.

The challenge now will be ensuring Labor's attempt at a reset can be maintained for the next 11 months as it fends off an emboldened, confident LNP, a party that undertook a reset of its own this month when it kicked off the election countdown with a $15 billion pledge to make an updated version of the droughtproofing Bradfield Scheme a reality.

The challenge is also in trying to ensure Jackie Trad can put the investment property saga that threatened her career behind her and can retain her marginal South Brisbane seat while not proving an electoral distraction for regional MPs trying to hold on to theirs.

After keeping a relatively low profile, Ms Trad was noticeably more visible last week, fronting several press conferences. And on Thursday morning she was on talkback radio on the ABC, where she delivered a message many in her own caucus were hoping to hear following the investment property integrity saga that rocked both her and her family, as well as the Government.

"It was a really devastating time in my life, and in my family's life," Ms Trad told listeners.

"I have apologised, and I apologise again.

"This was a stuff-up, and it was a mistake I fully regret."

It was not the first time Ms Trad had publicly apologised. But this one was perhaps more significant, given the challenges she now faces in the 11 months ahead.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Opinion: Real threat to Palaszczuk's reign

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk's reputation and legacy among the titans of the Labor movement is very much at stake.

The so-called "accidental'' premier has proved herself to be among the best retail politicians ever seen in Queensland.

But her folksy charm and warmth – particularly with women – will not save her, unless she gets tough in coming months.

If Ms Palaszczuk was to win the next Queensland election – and the odds are stacked against her 11 months out – she would rightly go down in Labor history as the most successful female politician of her generation.

However, a combination of the antics of the Left of her party, a renegade union and a sluggish economy are conspiring to make winning on October 31, 2020, seemingly mission impossible.

The Left, the unions and the poor state of the economy are inextricable – wacky Left ideology such as running dead on the coal industry has not only hurt Labor at the ballot box, it is having a fiscal impact. Business confidence is weak.

Queensland has the highest unemployment rate in the country, even with a corpulent public service that has grown by 35,000 since 2015.

Bully-boy union tactics, especially from the CFMEU, has seen an explosion in construction costs, which means developers either steer clear of Queensland, or the cost of building houses and units is passed on to the consumer.

The real damage to Labor has come from integrity scandals that have forced Deputy Premier Jackie Trad into embarrassing apologies and the resignation of Ms Palaszczuk's chief of staff David Barbagallo. Their foolish actions have been well documented.

Trad, in particular, has shown poor judgment on an undeclared house purchase, a trip to Whistler courtesy of a Labor mate and now playing a role in the appointment of a principal within her electorate.

Internal Labor polling shows Trad's personal brand in the regions is toxic. She has become an albatross around the neck of the Premier. The Opposition's "dodgy Jackie'' moniker has resonated.

Now, the Premier faces her toughest challenge with the possibility that the CFMEU may withdraw support for Labor leading into the next election because it is unhappy with the progress of an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement at Cross River Rail.

The CFMEU withdrew support for former Labor premier Anna Bligh in 2012 and she suffered the worst defeat by a Labor leader in history, reducing the ALP ranks to just eight MPs.

There's little chance of that happening again, even if the CFMEU did withdraw its support, but the test for Ms Palaszczuk is clear.

Will she be persuaded by the likes of CFMEU boss Michael Ravbar and cave into his outlandish demands, or will she stand firm, knowing the Government's offer is fair and equitable?

The CFMEU was spoilt when it did the EBA at Queen's Wharf.

Star Entertainment Group, the proponent, agreed to generous and lucrative industrial agreements with the CFMEU because it just wants to get the project finished on time.

Star knows the CFMEU's reputation for industrial unlawfulness and the last thing it needs is a site that is constantly being shut down.

After all, this is a $3 billion development – a transformational project that forms the centrepiece of Star's ongoing commitment to Queensland.

The EBA effectively means carpenters who work six hours overtime a week – which is expected – will earn $288,000 a year, right up there with the salary of a Cabinet minister.

The Government's deal at Cross River Rail is not as prosperous, but in real terms, it's still pretty good coin for the CFMEU workers.

For example, a lollipop sign operator, those who direct traffic on the site, will be able to earn up to $188,000 a year. But for Ravbar and his boys, it's not enough.

If Ms Palaszczuk does stare down the CFMEU and risk all-out war, she will win plenty of plaudits from hard-working Queenslanders struggling to make ends meet on $80,000 a year.

The CFMEU is an opportunistic operation that will jump into bed with anybody if it pleases them. They have cosied up to One Nation's Pauline Hanson to have new federal industrial laws vetoed in the Senate.

There is a perception, some say misguided, that Ms Palaszczuk lacks certainty and decisiveness on big calls.

But there is a compelling argument that she hasn't gone far enough in sanctioning Cabinet members from the Left. She has had ample reasons to banish Mangocube Mark Bailey, union-backer Mick de Brenni and Trad from Cabinet.

On securing the Olympics, the Premier has strode the international stage with aplomb. On infrastructure, she has stood beside Prime Minister Scott Morrison to only recently announce a raft of new projects.

The bipartisanship with Morrison on infrastructure is a key victory and it augurs well for a strong Commonwealth-State relationship on securing the Olympics.

Winning the Olympic bid is a distinct possibility. The International Olympic Committee like what they've seen thus far.

It would be a big vote winner for the Premier. But her inability to control wayward left ministers and her reticence to take on the unions will not play out well with Queensland voters.

If she stands up to the unions and starts staring down the Left of her party, she will make the October 31 poll next year competitive.

But she has a big mountain to climb. Right now, Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington is well and truly in the driver's seat.

[aldonius]

No love lost between the Courier-Mail and the union movement!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Deb Frecklington tells how she'll be a different premier

SHE'S been mistaken for Annastacia Palaszczuk once too often, but Deb Frecklington insists: "I am so not her."

Speaking exclusively to The Sunday Mail on the eve of election year, the Queensland Opposition Leader admitted to being tapped on the shoulder by strangers saying "hello Premier".

But Ms Frecklington, the long-serving Member for Nanango, said any similarities ended with hair colour and age.

"We're both brunettes, I'm 48 and she's 50, but we are just such different people," Ms Frecklington said.

"She has deliberately changed her image – the whole 'Princess Palaszczuk' is pretty obvious – but I haven't changed mine.

"I have no choice but to remain grounded, because of (husband) Jason and the girls," said Ms Frecklington, mother to Isabella, 21, Lucy, 19, and Elke 17.

"I can have a tough day but then I'll get a call from one of my kids and you've got to deal with whatever's going on in their lives. She, on the other hand, has had a complete makeover – all the makeup, the designer labels, it's too much, when there are bigger issues to focus on."

The Premier and her key female ministers, Jackie Trad and Kate Jones, have taken to wearing high-end label Scanlan Theodore, whose suits cost more than $1000.

"I really want to stay as I am," said Ms Frecklington, who shops at Target and Cue.

"You always need to be presentable, but what people want in a politician is someone who is down to earth, who will work hard for them, and who isn't going to change when they become a politician.

"And I'm still exactly the same person who puts the thongs on and goes to Woolies on a Saturday morning because I've run out of milk.

"With me, what you see is what you get."

SHE'S IN POLL POSITION

While the LNP is tipped to win the 2020 election, Ms Frecklington knows she has plenty of work to do before Queenslanders vote on October 31.

"We are up against the might of the union movement, but I'm energised and excited for the next 10 months," she said.

The latest The Courier-Mail/YouGov poll shows Labor has fallen behind the LNP on a two-party-preferred basis for the first time since May 2016.

The Government's backflip over Adani and Ms Trad's integrity scandal have contributed to the slump, and only one in three voters are satisfied with Ms Palaszczuk's performance.

But the poll also indicates that Ms Frecklington has challenges to overcome if she is to move into 1 William St.

While 30 per cent of voters are satisfied with her, an equal number are not, and 40 per cent remain unsure.

"I've had a very clear goal from the beginning – we have to get Queensland back," Ms Frecklington said.

"It's embarrassing as a state when every issue – whether it's child safety, education, unemployment, or how long people have to wait for a hospital bed – we are at the bottom of the pile, and it's not good enough.

"My team and I, none of us got into politics to just sit here and be politicians. We're here to make the state better.

"Palaszczuk was always going to be a politician – she took her father Henry's seat; her only job outside of being an MP was working in a ministerial office."

WORKER, STUDENT, MUM

Ms Frecklington's first job after boarding school at Ipswich Girls Grammar was a suit fitter at Fletcher Jones in Brisbane's CBD. (She also has sold car products, run a coffee shop, been a receptionist, and a partner in a law firm.)

"I will always remember dressing Roisin Goss for the 1989 election night (Labor's Wayne Goss won). She wore a blue and white jacket and navy skirt, and I sold her that!"

Ms Frecklington went on to study business at the University of Southern Queensland and then got a law degree, externally through QUT, while raising her young children in Meandarra, in the Western Downs.

Juggling motherhood and study was tough, particularly towards the end of her second pregnancy.

"We were living three-and-a-half-hours' drive from Toowoomba, and a couple of times Lucy just stopped moving. It was really stressful.

"The Tara hospital wouldn't see us, so we kept driving to Dalby and they didn't have equipment working at the time, so we ended up in Toowoomba.

"It highlighted to me the isolation of living in regional Queensland.

"I was lucky but many people aren't, and we need to have the basics of healthcare in those communities."

When Lucy was born, 10 days early by caesarean section, there were complications.

"She had a defect in her spine, and Jason and I were told it might be spina bifida, which can cause problems walking," Ms Frecklington said.

"We had to wait 24 hours for test results, so you panic and start reassessing your life — we'll have to move or modify the house, and so on."

Fortunately, Lucy was given the all-clear, but the impact on Ms Frecklington was long lasting.

"It is not OK that bush babies are at risk.

"Theodore and Chinchilla both have maternity services and the Palaszczuk Government wants to shut them.

"Under Bligh and Beattie's reigns, Labor shut 26 maternity services. They don't realise that distances claim lives."

FOCUSING ON BIG ISSUES

Ms Frecklington said being a mother made her acutely aware of the challenges families face, not only in the bush but in the cities.

"If you want to be premier you have to understand the hardships of people in the regions but also of people in Mansfield trying to pay their bills.

"You can't be swanning around at the Logies and boasting about your overseas trips; how out-of-touch is that with everyday Queenslanders? I don't know what Palaszczuk is concentrating on if her big issues are changing the name of the children's hospital and naming a football stadium after a (former) Labor politician (Terry Mackenroth) in a captain's call she had to reverse.

"I pride myself much more on my actions than on my look."

Ms Frecklington said she was "no different to any other female – we all love clothes, makeup and jewellery".

"But whenever anyone brings up that Palaszczuk and I look similar, I think, thank goodness that I am nowhere near like her.

"I'm not trying to be something I'm not.

"Being premier is a big job, the state is huge, and I'm ready for it."

[#Metro]

Half the article is talking about clothes and shoes.
Who cares?

[ozbob]

Half the article is talking about clothes and shoes.
Who cares?

The level of political discourse in Queensland is somewhat lacking in tangible meaning.  Decent policies?   

Both red and blue are utterly hopeless sadly ..

Not looking too bright for 2020  .. 

[aldonius]

So a big chunk of that article is DF not-so-subtly attacking AP for being childless.

For context, AP had a miscarriage, was subsequently diagnosed with endometriosis, and then went through 4 (unsuccessful) rounds of IVF.

[City Designer]

It is pulling identity politics because the opposition has nothing to offer. I am a Mum vote for me.

[ozbob]

The response to the CM article has been strong and very critical.  Major blunder by the LNP spin team.

>> https://twitter.com/search?q=%23qldpol&src=recent_search_click&f=live

[ozbob]

https://twitter.com/ozbob13/status/1225798243595874304

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Jackie Trad faces losing Left faction colleague Bruce Saunders

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad faces losing a key factional ally after they were involved in a heated telephone argument, as her opponents were pictured scheming at a secret meeting.

JACKIE Trad's grip on her Deputy Premier and Treasurer role was yesterday dealt a bitter blow after Maryborough MP Bruce Saunders told colleagues he was planning to quit her Left faction.

The Courier-Mail can reveal the second-term MP informed some of his Labor caucus colleagues that he was resigning his factional allegiance to the Left after he and Ms Trad had a heated telephone argument.

Labor sources last night described Mr Saunder's decision as a "fit of pique" and "Bruce being Bruce".

Other insisted his shift was definite and damaging.

Mr Saunder's defection will shift the power balance in the Labor caucus away from Ms Trad's dominant Left faction and will add fuel the internal push among a band of MPs and party figures to remove her from the ministry.

The Courier-Mail revealed two weeks ago that forces within the Labor partyroom were agitating to remove Ms Trad from her powerful role in the belief she had become an electoral liability eight months from the state election.

It comes after the damaging integrity scandal that engulfed Ms Trad last year over her failure to properly disclose and declare her family's purchase of a property along the route of the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail project.

The latest opinion poll shows the saga has punched a hole in Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's popularity while her Government is locked neck-and-neck with the Deb Frecklington-led LNP and at risk of being shunted into minority administration on October 31.

The factional flare-up coincided with a secret meeting of Labor's ministerial leadership team at a Scenic Rim retreat.

A photograph obtained by The Courier-Mail showed Tourism Minister Kate Jones in talks with union powerbroker Gary Bullock and Labor state secretary Julie-Ann Campbell.

Mr Saunders could not be contacted last night.

However, his resignation comes after he told The Australian newspaper yesterday of "tense and frank" conversations with the Treasurer last year during the integrity scandal and how in the past he had told colleagues she should resign.

Mr Saunders insisted he had recently changed his mind and told Ms Trad she should "hang on".

Labor sources last night said Mr Saunders was telling colleagues that Ms Trad telephoned to confronted him over his comments, which had prompted his decision to quit.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Premier's support plunges to same level as Bligh bloodbath

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk is facing a rising tidal wave of Queenslanders cranky at the direction of the state with their numbers rivalling the uprising before the Bligh government was dumped from office.

As Ms Palaszczuk today celebrates five years since being sworn in as Queensland's 39th Premier, an exclusive new YouGov poll has revealed a record low number of voters believe the state is heading in the right direction.

It is just the second time since The Courier-Mail's long-running sentiment series began that voters angry at the direction of the state outnumbered those who thought Queensland was on the correct course.

The last time that positive sentiment fell behind was throughout the final 12 months of Labor's long rein in power before the party was reduced to just seven MPs in 2012.

The result will fuel further concern among Government backbenchers that the second-term administration will struggle to win the October 31 state election after a lacklustre 2019.

According to the poll of more than 1000 Queenslanders, just 31 per cent of respondents believed the state was heading in the right direction, a record low.

The number who believe the state was heading in the wrong direction was 46 per cent, compared to 50 per cent shortly before the trouble-prone Bligh administration faced its election ruination.

The result echoes similar figures in August when wrong direction overtook right direction.

The Government's fading fortunes will ensure the April 28 State Budget becomes a make-or-break blueprint for Labor although there are increasing concerns about the impact on the economy from the coronavirus.

It comes as Ms Palaszczuk and her ministerial leadership team – Deputy Premier Jackie Trad, Infrastructure Minister Cameron Dick and Tourism Minister Kate Jones – spent yesterday bunkered down with union bosses about a future strategy.

However, economists were unsurprised the Government's past fiscal strategy had begun to fall foul of voters despite chalking up some significant results.

More than 221,000 jobs have been created over the last five years, outstripping growth in most other states.

About 121,000 of these positions were full-time.

Unemployment, based on a seasonally-adjusted figures, has fallen from 6.5 per cent to 5.7 per cent after the Government bankrolled major packages to incentivise business to take on the long-term jobless.

However, while there has been significant improvement in regional centres, the state's unemployment rate has remained well about the national average.

Exports have been a high point, with the value of the Australian dollar helping the value of Queensland's shipped products peak at $85 billion compared to $45 billion five years ago.

But areas of the domestic economy continue to struggle with the value of private sector capital investment shrinking from $10 billion to $6.2 billion in the latest data.

One of Queensland's most respected economists, Gene Tunny, said voters had been patiently waiting for the Government to steer the state to better times but it hasn't happened.

"They just don't have the capacity to stimulate the economy and that is starting to wear people out," he said.

Mr Tunny, a former Commonwealth treasury official, described Ms Palaszczuk as a "steady hand on the tiller" who had "generally provided a direction for the state".

"However, I've disagreed with a lot of things," he said.

Mr Tunny said the Government's hostility towards asset sales was a lost opportunity that was hampering its ability to invest in productive infrastructure.

"And that has meant adding to their already heavy debt bill," he said. "They haven't really had a plan but they have had some gimmicks."

The "gimmicks" include flick-passing debt onto the books of Government business and raiding superannuation and long-serving leave reserves.

General government sector debt was $43 billion in the final Newman Government budget and this fell to $32 billion in 2018-19.

However, the total debt burden is forecast to grow surpass $90 billion by 2022-23 as spending on infrastructure, including the $5.4 billion Cross River Rail, tracks back towards normal levels.

Over the past five years, the Government's annual spending has grown by $10 billion.

Two-thirds of the growth goes towards wages after a public servant hiring spree in the first term.

Revenue has grown at a similar pace but only after windfall gains for coal royalties and a series of tax hikes.

Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland chief economist Marcus Smith said he was concerned about the budget's ability to respond to economic problems and the coronavirus shaped as a key test.

"Going forward it is going to have an impact," he said.

While the Government's payroll tax reforms were welcome by business, Dr Smith said the waste levy hit hard.

"They gave with one hand and they took with the other," he said.

[verbatim9]

Lnp.org.au---> THE PROBLEM Annastacia Palaszczuk's rail fail has resulted in 470 fewer services for commuters each week. Labor's ongoing rail fail is one of the worst public transport failures in our national history.

Our Plan to Bust Congestion – Fix the Trains
Bust Congestion, Our Plan
Deb Frecklington

THE PROBLEM
Annastacia Palaszczuk's rail fail has resulted in 470 fewer services for commuters each week. Labor's ongoing rail fail is one of the worst public transport failures in our national history.

Closed shop driver recruiting and other secret cosy arrangements with the Rail, Tram and Bus Union (RTBU) shows that Labor puts the interests of union bosses ahead of the public transport needs of SEQ commuters. Train driver productivity has also declined and drivers spend less than 30% of their shift actually driving a train with passengers.3 This is despite some train drivers getting paid close to $200,000 a year and train guards on almost $170,000 a year.

The Strachan Inquiry recommended 'progressing recruitment and training of an additional 200 drivers and 200 guards'. Over a year later, it was revealed on ABC radio that only 16 additional drivers had been recruited, meaning that Labor's rail fail could continue for another decade. At the same time, safety incidents on the Citytrain passenger network have increased with 2017 being one of the worst years in the last decade for signals passed at danger (SPADs) by drivers. Overcrowded trains speeding through signals puts commuter safety at risk.

OUR SOLUTION
The Government's own Strachan Inquiry laid out the path to fixing the rail fail and yet Labor's closed shop arrangements with the RTBU are preventing them from sorting it out quickly. The LNP would restore reliability to our rail network by:

1. Recruiting more drivers

2. Getting them trained faster

3. Getting train services back on track

We will stand up to the rail unions and allow Queensland Rail to recruit external driver applicants. Labor's promise to allow for external applicants is hollow and gives the unions the right to demand internal recruitment.

We will fast-track the sectorisation of train crew, allowing trainee drivers and guards to get to work on particular corridors sooner. This means train crew will be trained on particular lines and routes – 'sectors' – instead of having to be trained across the whole network. We will take on the rail union to improve productivity. The current processes take up to 13 months to train a driver. Transparency and accountability are critical to restoring passenger confidence in our rail network.

The LNP will ensure there is timely and clear communication to passengers about network disruptions, so they don't get stranded at the station. The language used by Queensland Rail needs to be plain and simple – rather than rail jargon or bureaucrat-speak – and faster so that passengers can make alternative plans if there are issues on the network.

Passengers shouldn't have to wait until the next election for Labor's rail fail to end, but sadly after 18 months commuters have no confidence that the Palaszczuk Government can fix the trains. Fixing Labor's rail fail will lead to restoring public confidence in our major passenger rail network. It will be a priority under the LNP.

[JimmyP]

Considering the 'Railfail' finished last year, unsure what the point of posting that is.. Also, according to my sources, the training has already been shortened and sectorised, so there goes any LNP wins there!

[ozbob]

Considering the 'Railfail' finished last year, unsure what the point of posting that is.. Also, according to my sources, the training has already been shortened and sectorised, so there goes any LNP wins there!

Yo.  Maybe it was to show that the LNP are a bit behind ... 

[verbatim9]

Considering the 'Railfail' finished last year, unsure what the point of posting that is.. Also, according to my sources, the training has already been shortened and sectorised, so there goes any LNP wins there!

Considering the 'Railfail' finished last year, unsure what the point of posting that is.. Also, according to my sources, the training has already been shortened and sectorised, so there goes any LNP wins there!

Yo.  Maybe it was to show that the LNP are a bit behind ... 

They could change their wording a bit. But I just posted to inform what they have published to date, in relation to transport policy.

[kram0]

It would be good to see both parties commit to 15 minutes services 7 days a week on the networks inner core. With the current timetable, Queensland is NOT the Smart State they like to talk about.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Queensland election could go full postal

LAW changes could be made that would pave the way for the state to hold a full postal vote when Queenslanders head to the ballot box on October 31.

Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath has revealed the Government is working with the ECQ (Electoral Commission Queensland) to ensure "all options" are available so the state poll can go ahead safely, but said its preference would be a stand-up ballot.

Ms D'Ath said a full postal vote would not be allowed under current laws and that the Government was working with the ECQ over any "potential amendments" that may be necessary.

"I know the ECQ are talking to their suppliers right now about having sufficient postal ballots being able to be printed, but also talking with Australia Post about could they deliver a full postal if need be," she said.
"Certainly, the ECQ's preference at this time is to have a stand-up ballot and a ballot framework very similar to what we experienced during the local government election."

The Attorney-General said she expected decisions to be made around late next month on "which path to go down" for the election.

"What the Government is guaranteeing is that we will provide the resources and support that the Electoral Commission of Queensland needs to provide a safe election," Ms D'Ath said.

"It is everybody's right to vote and we want to make sure that everyone can exercise that right in a safe way.

"We've shown through the local government election we can do that."

The decision to hold a full postal vote would ultimately be made by the ECQ

Ms D'Ath said it was "fair to say" that a stand-up ballot was a better option.

"It means that the results would be known sooner," she said.

"But also because of delays, especially with the size of our state and the delays in postage and getting it into regional areas and getting postal ballots back, that there is a chance people are disenfranchised by having a full postal ballot."

The Attorney-General said other countries had reached out to the ECQ to ask it how it managed the March council elections in a "safe way" during the pandemic.

About 1.8 million Queenslanders, or about half of eligible voters, cast their vote at pre-poll booths or made arrangements to do so over the phone or by post during the council election, reducing the number of people who turned out on polling day.

Among the measures introduced by the ECQ was banning the handing out of how-to-vote cards.

Voters were also encouraged to bring along their own pen when they cast their ballot.