The Queensland Government has defended its decision to sack the chairman of the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games committee Mark Stockwell.

Mr Stockwell, and Australian Olympic medallist, led the bid team that secured the 2018 Commonwealth Games for the Gold Coast.

In December the former Premier Anna Bligh appointed Mr Stockwell as the chairman of the committee.

But the newly-appointed Commonwealth Games Minister, Jann Stuckey, says someone with other skills would be better suited.

"To ensure that these games are delivered on time, and importantly on budget, the LNP Newman Government needs to put in place a board that will quickly get on with the major infrastructure planning and delivery of this billion dollar event," she said.

"What is needed now for the Gold Coast Games are well-credentialed people who have qualifications in law, finance, development, and the commercial sector along with prominent sporting people who can make a significant contribution in the building and operations of the games," she said.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-06/qld-government-sacks-commonwealth-games-chair/3994076

Hum...

Queensland's new LNP Arts Minister has been caught out presenting the same speech to State Parliament as her ALP predecessor did six months ago.

A spokesman for Minister Ros Bates says nothing had changed in the six months and the speech about the Art Gallery Board's ability to raise funds was not political.

He says the Minister is not impressed with departmental officers who provided her with the same 750-word speech given by former arts minister Rachel Nolan.

He says a few words had been changed.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-05-27/mp-caught-recycling-predecessors-speech/4035694

Former Howard government minister Gary Hardgrave has been expelled from Queensland's Liberal National Party.
Mr Hardgrave, a presenter with Fairfax Radio 4BC, said today the decision was linked to comments he made in his capacity as a broadcaster and accused the party of trying to control his public remarks.
4BC is owned by Fairfax Media, publisher of brisbanetimes.com.au.
“I can confirm I have received a letter which states the LNP state executive have chosen to expel me from the party,” Mr Hardgrave said in a statement.
“This comes as a result of them taking exception to a number of comments I made in connection with my work within the media as a radio presenter for 4BC.”
Mr Hardgrave, who hosts an afternoon talkback show and is also sometimes interviewed on Sky News, said his brand of commentary was based on his experience and personal values.
“A few within the LNP executive have sought to control me and in fact even suggested I should consult the LNP constitution before I broadcast each day,” he said.“Complaints about what I say can be directed to the station manager but the LNP executive has chosen to try and pressure me on a number of occasions directly.”

Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-dumps-howardera-minister-20120605-1zts2.html#ixzz1wupx2Ezp

And tonight on the 7:30 Report with Leigh Sales, Newman said a few contradictory things that amounted to "we'll protect the environment with huge developments...." See toon on top...

 

Unions are planning their own advertising campaigns after Queensland Premier Campbell Newman made a televised address selling the need for spending cuts.

During a one-minute advertising broadcast last night, Mr Newman again outlined the need to address the state's dire finances.

A spokesman for the Premier says the ad did not cost anything because the airtime had already been paid for by the previous Labor government.

He said it would have been lost if it was not used.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-25/unions-return-fire-after-newmans-budget-ad/4090160

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I don't know on what planet Newman lives but to say the "ad spot would have been lost" is a lie.  The money would have been refunded if he had asked for it soon enough... This is a cheap trick — a capital sin — from a Liberal who says grace at all his meals... May he choke on the words of the lord's prayer... He also could have used the ad spot for an anti-smoking campaign as sponsored by the Qld government... 

 

 

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman summoned Cabinet ministers and top-ranking public servants to a secret meeting in a Brisbane ballet school today as a Galaxy poll showed his popularity with voters plunging.

Queensland's Cabinet usually meets every Monday morning in the Executive Building in the heart of the city.

The media is usually advised if the Executive Building meeting is not going ahead.

But in an extraordinary move today, a Government spokeswoman said Cabinet was meeting somewhere in the inner Brisbane suburb of West End - but would not say where, or when.

Media crews later tracked the ministers down at the Thomas Dixon Centre - a former shoe factory which is now the headquarters of Queensland Ballet - in West End.

When reporters were finally let in they witnessed a greatly expanded meeting, with public service directors-general and chiefs of staff in attendance for the start of a two-day strategy conference.

The unprecedented move came as a poll published in today's Courier-Mail newspaper showed Mr Newman's popularity falling, with nearly half of the state's voters unhappy with the way he is doing his job.

The Galaxy poll of 800 voters across Queensland says Mr Newman's dissatisfaction rating is now standing at 49 per cent, up from 19 per cent in May.

His satisfaction rating fell from 64 per cent to 44 per cent in the same period.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-08-27/newman-callssecret-cabinet-meeting-as-poll-brings/4224592?WT.svl=news0

 

 

Fancy an elected leader likening people's jobs to dog poo. Boil it down and that's what the Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman, did last Thursday during a rowdy debate over his plans to take the axe to the public service as part of a multibillion-dollar cost-cutting drive.
''We get the pooper scooper out every day of the week,'' said Newman as he sought to justify the need to clean up after Labor. Newman has already sacked 4500 public servants. He is tipped to sack another 15,500 in his budget next month.

There is a growing displeasure with Newman, and while no direct link has been established, some are citing the ''Newman effect'' as a driver of the modest resurgence in federal Labor's poll numbers. 

Newman swept to power in March in a landslide of such proportions that Labor was reduced to just seven seats in the 89-seat legislature. As there is no upper house in Queensland, Newman is virtually without opposition, other than the local newspaper, The Courier-Mail, and Clive Palmer, who is increasingly voicing displeasure with Newman's style and last week offered $250,000 to help counsel those being laid off.
Now, anecdotally and otherwise, there is a growing displeasure with Newman, and while no direct link has been established, some are citing the ''Newman effect'' as a driver of the modest resurgence in federal Labor's poll numbers.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abrasive-newman-gives-labor-a-lift-20120826-24u8t.html#ixzz24ioNV2T2

What did the Queenslanders expected from Newman? Sunshine?

 

 

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has flagged possible cuts to state funding for rugby league if more State of Origin games go to Melbourne.

Mr Newman says he is concerned by reports the Australian Rugby League Commission (ARLC) is asking for extra money from Queensland and New South Wales for hosting rights.

The ARLC is reportedly considering selling the third Origin game to Melbourne or another place in two years out of a four-year cycle.

The Premier says the Government already gives rugby league $8 million a year, which is more than it gives most sports.

"I just think they need to be mindful that they are getting a significant contribution from the taxpayers of Queensland," Mr Newman said.

"There are many women's sporting groups that would like to see that level of funding; they don't get it.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-06/newman-threatens-funding-cut-over-origin/4246676

 

And this does not mean women's sporting group would get more funding if the Queensland Rugby League government funding is cut... And between you, me and a Sydney Council Lamppost, with Rugby league getting more than big bux from TV rights, a couple of measly million less from the sunshine state might favour NSW in the next State of Origin matches... Queensland versus NSW played in melbourne... I always thought this was a weirdo set up anyway...

 

 

The former PM has accused Mr Newman of overstating Queensland's financial problems to justify cuts.

"It's wrong and it's time Campbell Newman began governing for all of Queensland and not just in pursuit of his own particular narrow ideology," he said.

He says the job cuts have become a national issue and are affecting confidence in the State Government's ability to deliver public services.

"It's got to the stage where those working at different levels of government have got to stand up, speak out and hold this LNP Government to account for what it's doing."

But Mr Newman says Mr Rudd is being hypocritical.

"He said that he was going to take a meat axe to the public service in 2007," Mr Newman said.

"He also, when he was a senior operative in the Goss government, was responsible for thousands of job losses.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-09-06/rudd-warns-newman-could-suffer-his-fate/4247070

 

This is a bit rich: sure Rudd was called Dr Death for sacking people from the public service but he was not the Premier of the State then — only the bloke who sacked people...

 

 

The Queensland Government says the Costello Commission of Audit advises the state to sell assets and restructure the public service.

The Commission was chaired by former federal Treasurer Peter Costello and was asked how Queensland can improve its finances and regain its AAA credit rating.

The 1,000-page final report has now been delivered and the Government will release the executive summary today.

Treasurer Tim Nicholls says its 155 recommendations include restructuring the public service and selling government-owned corporations.

"It says we still need to fix up the way those companies are operated to make sure they're running efficiently and effectively," Mr Nicholls said.

Opposition treasury spokesman Curtis Pitt says the Government wants the report to justify its privatisation agenda.

'Hell-bent'

"This Government is hell-bent on privatisation," Mr Pitt said.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to realise that everything that they're doing has lent itself to looking after their mates, giving out contracts and outsourcing whatever they can."

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-01/costello-audit-recommends-queensland-asset-sales/4546648

 

It's of course a typical case of make the report fit what the Libs (conservatives) want... Which is to take away the social nature of services and turn them into profitable ventures that turn people into hapless customers...

 

See toon and story at top...

 

 

A complaint about former federal treasurer Peter Costello lodged with Queensland's Crime and Misconduct Commission highlights potential conflicts of interest between his job overseeing the future of the state's finances and his ownership of a lobby group representing companies that could benefit from state asset sales.

Epstein Costello Gazard (ECG) Advisory Solutions - the private lobby group owned by Mr Costello and two of his former parliamentary staffers - made a declaration in February that clients it lobbies for include SP AusNet, Primary Health Care, ASG Group and Serco Asia Pacific. All are companies that could benefit from the recommendations of Queensland's ''independent audit'' of the state's finances, which has been chaired by Mr Costello (below).

That Commission of Audit last week handed down recommendations to sell or outsource many of the state's assets and services, including electricity and healthcare.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/costello-conflict-claim-20130306-2flzj.html#ixzz2MnUmQIsS
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As bad or even worse than Eddie and Ian....

 

Kevin Rudd has accused the Liberal National Party of resorting to "dirty tricks" after university students were instructed to formulate a marketing campaign to help his political rival.

Dr Bill Glasson, the high-profile LNP candidate for Mr Rudd's inner-Brisbane electorate, addressed business students at the Brisbane's Queensland University of Technology (QUT's) last month about his political goals and the party's use of social media.

Afterwards, students were told to develop an awareness strategy for his campaign, with the "best" assignments to be made available for Dr Glasson, the former Australian Medical Association chief, to use ahead of the September poll.

Mr Rudd, the former prime minister, took to Twitter this afternoon to respond:

The Liberal National Party dirty tricks department already hard at work

Executive dean of QUT's Business School, Professor Robina Xavier, told Fairfax the assignments would only have been forwarded to Dr Glasson after students had given their approval.

Dr Glasson says he was invited by the lecturer to address the students.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-15/lnp-enlists-uni-students-to-topple-rudd/4576246