A baptism of sea and sky – The Qld Weekly #qldpol: @Qldaah

The Qld Weekly - No Fibs

A Baptism O fSea And Sky

(February 21, 2015) – Aftermath.
(February 20, 2015) – Tropical Cyclone Marcia lands,
(February 19, 2015) – Newman lashes out.
(February 18, 2015) – Health of the state.
(February 17, 2015) – Meeting with business and union leaders.
(February 16, 2015) – More experienced.

Summary

A busy first week for new Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. She saw the swearing in of her 14 member cabinet which included 8 women, the highest proportion in Queensland’s political history. She met with both business and union leaders in an effort to encourage the two groups to work together to reduce Queensland’s high trend unemployment rate of 6.5 percent. (For more statistical analysis of the jobless rate, see our No Fibs coverage, “January 2015 Qld trend unemployment falls to 6.5pc”.)

A quick tour of one of the hospitals was her last engagement before Tropical Cyclone Marcia took hold and she found herself suddenly transformed into former Premier Anna Bligh.

Liberal National Party Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg and team spent the first week in opposition complaining and warning against the reduced government ministry size from nineteen to fourteen. They argued that ministers would not be able to handle multiple portfolios such as Kate Jones, who has been sworn in as Minister for Education, Tourism, Major Events and Small Business and the Commonwealth Games. However, due to parliamentary rules, the LNP would only be paid for a 14 strong shadow cabinet to match. According to the “Legislative assembly of Queensland – Members’ remuneration handbook”, the salary for “Opposition Spokesperson” is an extra $57,578 on top of the standard MP pay of $148,848. If they kept their nineteen member team from the Newman Government, it would mean five members would miss out on the additional salary. As the cyclone raged on the Queensland coast, they eventually decided to supply fourteen paid shadow ministers and five volunteers, perhaps hopeful of a failure in the Palaszczuk administration that would see additional ministers needing to be sworn in.

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(February 21, 2015) – Aftermath

A crushing win at Stafford triggered Labor’s rise

Damage – Rockhampton

ABC News Qld: Rockhampton resident heartbroken over damage from TC Marcia.

ABC News Qld: Rockhampton resident heartbroken over damage from TC Marcia.

Damage – Yeppoon

7 News Brisbane: TC Marcia's destructive path - Premier Palaszczuk visits Yeppoon,

7 News Brisbane: TC Marcia’s destructive path – Premier Palaszczuk visits Yeppoon,

ABC News Qld: T C Marcia's damage revealed in Yeppoon.

ABC News Qld: T C Marcia’s damage revealed in Yeppoon.

Preparations – Gympie

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/568977722648567809

Despite all the rain, drought continues

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/569037821471690752

Getting the message out in sign language

QFES: Premier Palaszczuk's sign language interpreter Mark Cave talks about Auslan.

QFES: Premier Palaszczuk’s sign language interpreter Mark Cave talks about Auslan.

ADF deployment

ABC News 24: 700 Australian Defence personnel will be dispatched to aid in clean-up from TC Marcia.

ABC News 24: 700 Australian Defence personnel will be dispatched to aid in clean-up from TC Marcia.

Water, water, everywhere

https://twitter.com/Kendall_Gilding/status/568920979876917252

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/568981224892411905

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(February 20, 2015) – Tropical Cyclone Marcia lands

TC Marcia hits as a category five

9 News Brisbane and Ten News Qld: TC Marcia leaves trail of destruction across Qld.

9 News Brisbane and Ten News Qld: TC Marcia leaves trail of destruction across Qld.

ABC Newsl Qld: Relocating endangered baby loggerhead turtles from TC Marcia.

ABC Newsl Qld: Relocating endangered baby loggerhead turtles from TC Marcia.

Sharknado?

Fairfax: Did Tropical Cyclone Marcia create a Sharknado?

Fairfax: Did Tropical Cyclone Marcia create a Sharknado?

https://twitter.com/BridgetJuneJudd/status/568686644859002881

LNP names shadow cabinet

Lawrence Springborg took advantage of the wet weather to announce his shadow cabinet. As the Palaszczuk ministry will only contain 14 members, the opposition can only be paid for 14 “Opposition Spokespersons”.

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(February 19, 2015) – Newman lashes out

Tropical Cyclone Marcia approaches Yeppoon

LNG expansion questioned

Newman blames everyone but himself

  • Madonna King writes, “Campbell Newman’s public silence is deafening. But he’s been anything but silent behind closed doors. Friends, former colleagues and current LNP MPs paint a picture of a fallen leader who refuses to believe voters turned against him – despite the findings of an internal investigation”: Campbell Newman blames colleagues for election loss.

Victoria may need to compensate QIC

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(February 18, 2015) – Health of the state

Cyclone Marcia on approach

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/568186638901186560

Women in power? What next?

Vanguard Health awarded medical contract without tender

Hospital guarantee

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/567858543027625985

Economic hardship sees trucking companies close

Tony Abbott returns to Queensland

Department of Transport corruption

No monkeys for Pirates of the Caribbean 5

Outbreak of hoppers

Gold Coast surfing reserve

MPs in training

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(February 17, 2015) – Meeting with business and union leaders

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/567480251744133120

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/567482874471784448

Ferny Grove fallout

LNP returns to Opposition

7 News Brisbane: "I have a grown-up family": Jann Stuckey takes swipe at Kate Jones over Commonwealth Games.

7 News Brisbane: “I have a grown-up family”: Jann Stuckey takes swipe at Kate Jones over Commonwealth Games.

Royal Commission into organised crime and VLAD laws review

612 ABC Brisbane: Attorney-General announces review of VLAD laws & a Royal Commission into organised crime.

612 ABC Brisbane: Attorney-General announces review of VLAD laws & a Royal Commission into organised crime.

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(February 16, 2015) – More experienced

Who is more experienced?

16/02/15 The Courier Mail - Labor vaults first-time MPs into super portfolios - Premiers L Platers.

16/02/15 The Courier Mail – Labor vaults first-time MPs into super portfolios – Premiers L Platers.

Up to old tricks, The Courier Mail began the first working day of the Palaszczuk administration by accusing it of having a lack of ministerial experience and plasting “Premier’s L Platers” on the front page. However, as Noely Neate quickly pointed out, Labor has more executive experience in 2015 than the LNP did when it took government in 2012; Palaszczuk’s 145 months compared with Newman’s 4. Data was supplied to My Sunshine Coast online news; “ALP Executive/Ministerial experience upon taking Office 2015”.

  • Noely Neate writes, “You probably won’t know it from reading the states paper, but in fact, this weekend Queensland, a very conservative state historically actually made history, in more than one way when the new Government introduced it’s new Cabinet and I personally feel we should be shouting it from the roof tops”: You may not know it, but Queensland made history on the weekend.

ANZAC square upgrade

7 News Brisbane: Anzac Square will be refurbished in time for the centenary of the Gallipoli landing.

7 News Brisbane: Anzac Square will be refurbished in time for the centenary of the Gallipoli landing.

https://twitter.com/katherinefeeney/status/567481277708644353


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Comments


  1. Great work, David, Many thanks.