Newman to lead the liberals!

[ozbob]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Shadow cabinet shake-up is about renewal: Newman

Shadow cabinet shake-up is about renewal: Newman
April 12, 2011 - 5:27PM

LNP leader Campbell Newman says his shadow cabinet shake-up is not about winners, but about picking the best people.

Mr Newman has named the frontbench line-up that will take the battle up to the next election.

MPs Howard Hobbs, Ray Hopper, Ray Stevens, Glen Elmes and Peter Dowling have been demoted, while former deputy leader Lawrence Springborg refused a position.

Key ally Jeff Seeney - who is leading the party inside parliament while Mr Newman tries to win the seat of Ashgrove - has been handed the reconstruction, development, infrastructure and planning portfolios.

And Mr Newman confirmed today that Mr Seeney will be his deputy.

Current parliamentary deputy Tim Nicholls has been given treasury, finance and trade.

Fiona Simpson, who challenged Mr Seeney for the parliamentary leader's job, was demoted from transport and main roads to "waste watch", community services and housing, and women's issues.

But Mr Newman has given former leader John-Paul Langbroek the high-profile police, corrective services and emergency services portfolios after he quit in the face of Mr Newman's challenge.

When asked about the winners and losers on today, Mr Newman said the shake-up was about renewal.

"I said to you very clearly this is about new energy, new leadership," he told reporters in Brisbane today.

"It's taking the best people and putting them into the spots so that the people of Queensland can actually see that we are absolutely committed to taking this state forward."

And with Andrew Cripps representing the regions, and two parliamentary secretaries representing north Queensland and the west, there was a strong regional focus, he said.

Premier Anna Bligh said there was nothing about the new team that made her nervous.

"Not even a tiny bit," she told reporters today.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser said Mr Newman had promoted the plotters who helped orchestrate his rise, and punished those who opposed him.

"Those people who have been party to the backroom deals have been rewarded in this arrangement and this shows the deep divisions that still exist in the LNP," he told the ABC.

New opposition local government and sport spokesman David Gibson was elevated after he quit the shadow ministry in protest under Mr Langbroek.

When asked how the new team would stop dumped MPs "going rogue", he said what people did was a matter for them, but there was now a "great sense of purpose" in the party.

But former LNP MP Aidan McLindon, who has since formed the new Queensland Party, said the changes showed a "Liberal takeover" and he predicted "more turmoil, more retaliation" within months.

He said the absence of the talented Mr Springborg was not good for unity.

"It would have been wise to have had him in shadow cabinet but the reality is it is such a merry-go-round of musical chairs in the LNP that it is only going to be a matter of time before there is going to be another shake-up," he told the ABC.

Meanwhile, Mr Newman made his first election pledge, promising to fix two congested Brisbane rail crossings at Bracken Ridge and Geebung.

He said the money may have to be found by delaying other capital works projects.

AAP

[mufreight]

Ok there are some 500 of us as members, we currently have the opportunity to get the message over loud and clear to Mr Emmerson and Mr Newman, go to Mr Emmerson's site and vote for public transport and then make use of the facility on his site to comment on your concerns relating to public transport and raise the question as to the LNP policy in relation to public transport and the fare structure with particular emphasis on rail and the infrastructure to support rail rather than the road centric policies previously espoused by both the current government and Mr Newman.
The sidelining of Fiona Simpson from transport with her accumulated knowledge and expertise in that area because she had the terminity to stand for the LNP parliamentry leadership against Mr Seeney is a tragedy for public transport and raises question as to the lack to date of transport policy relevant to public public transport.

[mufreight]

From the Brisbanetimes click here!

Meanwhile, Mr Newman made his first election pledge, promising to fix two congested Brisbane rail crossings at Bracken Ridge and Geebung.

He said the money may have to be found by delaying other capital works projects.

AAP

[/quote]

Another indication of the road centric tunnel vision of Mr Newman, he has just lost my support and I would imagine that of many others, now I will be voting independent rather than support the LNP.

[somebody]

The sidelining of Fiona Simpson from transport with her accumulated knowledge and expertise in that area because she had the terminity to stand for the LNP parliamentry leadership against Mr Seeney is a tragedy for public transport and raises question as to the lack to date of transport policy relevant to public public transport.

This could be correct.  And may be a continuation of Newman's public transport form starting with removing the bus lane from Coro.

[Gazza]

I will be voting independent rather than support the LNP.

LOL, I've always preferred to give my first preference to a good independent regardless. It's always nice because often independents get it spot on for all the local issues, and aren't bound by party lines, which is the whole point of electing a representative for your electorate.

Another indication of the road centric tunnel vision of Mr Newman, he has just lost my support and I would imagine that of many others, now

To be honest, I used to be from that school of thought, but these days, I really do think that suburban rail networks should be 100% separated from the road network, the two should never touch.
Just as long as the grade sep funding comes from the roads budget and not the rail budget.

[#Metro]

Huh? Shouldn't we be happy that those road-rail crossings will be fixed?
In any government you get a mixed bag. The BUZ, CityGlider and more ferries came under Newman's watch.
And proper buses with air con, old things we used to have.

[ozbob]

I find this yarn fascinating, Queensland Times Ipswich, Labor 'heartland' ...

The emphasis is mine ..

=====================================

From the Queensland Times click here!

Campbell has us in his sights

Joel Gould | 16th April 2011

CAMPBELL Newman has slammed the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund and signalled his clear intention to win Labor heartland seats in Ipswich at the next election.

Former Brisbane lord mayor Campbell Newman will urge LNP ministers to endorse him as party leader.

LIBERAL National Party leader Campbell Newman has slammed the performance of the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund and signalled his clear intention to win Labor heartland seats in Ipswich at the next election.

Labor holds the seats of Ipswich and Bundamba comfortably while the LNP is safe in Lockyer. But Ipswich West, held by Labor's Wayne Wendt, is a seat the LNP believes it can give a real shake with Sean Choat as their candidate.

Mr Choat won 37.85% of the vote at the last election.

With the recent landslide win for the Liberal party in NSW as a backdrop, Mr Newman said it was time for the LNP to return to power in Queensland.

"I'd love the opportunity to have my team represent the people of Ipswich," he said.

"I am simply appealing to them in this election to have a good look at us – and if they like what they see, and I think they will, to give us a go.

"Sean Choat out at Ipswich West is a great bloke. He's a local and people should have a good look at him. I'd love him on my team.

"I have asked Sean and all candidates to compile a wish list of projects and initiatives that they'd like to see in their electorate."

Mr Newman said the main issues in the next election would revolve around the huge increases in cost of living and the "under-investment in rail services and under-investment in the roads".

He received plenty of feedback from residents about the failings of the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund, including pensioners who had been knocked back.

He pointed to the Brisbane City Council's performance in dealing with 90,000 applications for a water tank rebate scheme as an example of the way it should be done.

"We geared up and put the resources in place because we knew that people desperately wanted to get their water tanks in," he said.

"We showed some leadership and made it happen and focused on customer service. That is what should happen here. They should put the resources in, expedite the thing and help these poor suffering people.

"The criteria is very hard. I've had a lady come to me in tears. Her family had no insurance and they weren't wealthy people. That is what upsets me about it all...the unrealistic income thresholds that are excluding people."

Mr Newman said the turnaround time for people receiving help was "far too slow."

"People needed help weeks ago to rebuild their homes and their lives," he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Wendt said he had done "a good job over the past five years".

"And I intend to keep doing that," he said.

He said the three rounds of the Premier's Disaster Relief Fund had been well received by the public.

"We are less than three months since the event and I think we've done a great job so far to try and do what we can," he said.

"The electorate of Ipswich West has been flood damaged in every corner with hundreds of people affected. There is no doubt that some people would have liked things to be done quicker, but I believe the scale of the event meant that it had to be done the way it has."

[mufreight]

Unless Mr Newman produces sone policies in the next few weeks he will be handing the three Ipswich seats to credible independent candidates, at the present time since Mr Newman steped up between himself and Mr Seeney they have done little towards presenting a viable alternative government, at the present time there is little doubt localy that the current Labor members have lost the next election but there are no assurances that the LNP will win these seats with a high probability that either Independent or Greens candidates will win these seats.

[Jonno]

The best thing for transport would be the greens wining the deciding votes in parliament.  They are the only party that recognize the trsnsport policy failings of the last 40 years.

[mufreight]

The best thing for transport would be the greens wining the deciding votes in parliament.  They are the only party that recognize the trsnsport policy failings of the last 40 years.

The Greens track record on actualy doing something has to date been less than impressive, they hold the balance of power in the Federal Parliament and have to date not moved a single piece of transport related leglislation, obviously to recognise that over the past 40 years there has been an abmismal failing of transport policy is one thing but to actualy do something more than talk is another.

[somebody]

The best thing for transport would be the greens wining the deciding votes in parliament.  They are the only party that recognize the trsnsport policy failings of the last 40 years.

The Greens track record on actualy doing something has to date been less than impressive, they hold the balance of power in the Federal Parliament and have to date not moved a single piece of transport related leglislation, obviously to recognise that over the past 40 years there has been an abmismal failing of transport policy is one thing but to actualy do something more than talk is another.

Haven't been following it recently, but I don't remember The Greens actually making a positive contribution to implementing anything.  I quote Bob Brown, talking about stopping the Franklin Dam: "This is my proudest achievement".  So there is nothing he has actually done which he is proud of?