Rise of the 55th, death to the Dixer – The #QldWeekly blogazine: #qldpol @Qldaah

March 23, 2015

The Qld Weekly - No Fibs

Rise of the 55th, death to the Dixer

Rise of the 55th Queensland Parliament.
(March 27, 2015) – Question time.
(March 26, 2015) – Vote of confidence.
(March 25, 2015) – Opening day.
(March 24, 2015) – Speaker elected.
(March 23, 2015) – Death of the Dixer.
(March 22, 2015) – Reef plan not good enough.

Blogging the week

Check back with us as we blog the week in Queensland politics and news.

Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland, arriving by horse-drawn carriage to open Queensland Parliament on 18 May 1899.

Lord Lamington, Governor of Queensland, arriving by horse-drawn carriage to open Queensland Parliament on 18 May 1899.

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Rise of the 55th Queensland Parliament

Queensland’s 55th parliament will commence this week over a two day ceremony. MPs will meet at the house on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 to elect a Speaker. Once the parliament has decided, the candidate will travel to the Queensland Governor at Government House for Royal Approbation. This involves the Parliamentary Clerk, Deputy Clerk, the Sergeant at-Arms and members who nominated and seconded the nomination presenting the Speaker.

It is expected that long serving Independent MP for Nicklin, Peter Wellington will be elected to the role. Wellington was also instrumental in pledging support for Annastacia Palaszczuk’s minority government. As Speaker, he carries the deciding vote for the government but has stated he will vote down bills should they be detrimental to his electorate.

Escorted by the Police horse guard, the Governor will return to Parliament House on Wednesday, March 25, 2015 at 1:40 pm (local time) to open the parliament. A 19 gun salute will be sound from across the Brisbane River at Kangaroo Point.

The Queensland Parliament website has more details, “Opening of Queensland’s 55th Parliament”.

Footage of on 1899 opening of Parliament by Queensland Governor Lord Lamington.

(March 28, 2015) – Cook by-election on the cards

 

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(March 27, 2015) – Question time

Michael Coombes reports: Queensland's Chief Justice Tim Carmody says he should keep his job despite a retiring Judge accusing him of calling his colleagues 'snakes and scum'.

Michael Coombes reports: Queensland’s Chief Justice Tim Carmody says he should keep his job despite a retiring Judge accusing him of calling his colleagues ‘snakes and scum’.

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(March 26, 2015) – Vote of confidence

Opposition vote no in confidence motion

 

Retiring Justice Alan Wilson condemns Chief Justice Tim Carmody

Geoff Breusch reports: A retiring Supreme Court Judge has launched a blistering condemnation of controversial Chief Justice Tim Carmody.

Geoff Breusch reports: A retiring Supreme Court Judge has launched a blistering condemnation of controversial Chief Justice Tim Carmody.

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(March 25, 2015) – Opening day

55th Queensland Parliament officially ready to go

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Isn’t tradition grand? In America it sees one of the most powerful people in the world pardon a turkey from its death penalty, so all can feel better about basting or deep-frying their own. In France, it orders the Opposition to always vote against the government, even on a proposal it agrees with, because the Opposition’s job is to oppose. And in Australia, it sees the Queen’s representative sit in a special ginormous chair only ever used by the Queen or her representative and read a speech written by the leader’s staff, in this case the Queensland Premier, every three or so years.”: Tradition takes centre stage at Parliament House.
Geoff Breusch reports: Governor Paul de Jersey has formally opened Parliament, to start three-years of minority Palaszczuk government.

Geoff Breusch reports: Governor Paul de Jersey has formally opened Parliament, to start three-years of minority Palaszczuk government.

Chris O'Brien reports: 55th Qld Parliament officially opens, mud buckets are at the ready.

Chris O’Brien reports: 55th Qld Parliament officially opens, mud buckets are at the ready.

The Queensland Governor’s Tweets

 

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(March 24, 2015) – Speaker elected

Royal Approbation

Geoff Breusch reports: Peter Wellington elected as Speaker of 55th & formally introduced to the Queensland Governor.

Geoff Breusch reports: Peter Wellington elected as Speaker of 55th & formally introduced to the Queensland Governor.

The 55th begins

  • ABC News Queensland reports, “Peter Wellington has been elected as Speaker of the new Queensland Parliament, the first independent MP to take up the role in a century. The Nicklin MP was nominated today during the first meeting of the new Parliament by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, and won the vote unanimously. “Thank you for sincerely for the great honour and privilege you have conferred on me today,” Mr Wellington said. Traditionally, a new speaker is reluctantly “dragged” to the chair, reflecting the dangerous history of the role, which could result in execution if the King was displeased. But Mr Wellington could not hide the smile on his face as Ms Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad escorted him to his new seat.”: Independent MP Peter Wellington elected new speaker of Queensland Parliament.
  • Amy Remeikis reports, “An American advice columnist who wrote her own questions so she could publish prepared answers will continue to influence the Queensland parliament nearly 120 years later. Peter Wellington, who is expected to become the 55th Parliament’s Speaker this week, has already warned ministers he expects them to actually answer the questions directed their way during question time and legislative debates, a move Palaszczuk government ministers have said they welcome. But Dorothy Dixers, the practice of backbenchers asking ministers questions prepared by the government are to stay. The Newman government turned the tradition into a farce during Operation Boring, with each MP repeating the same question, almost word for word, and only changing the electorate.”: Dorothy Dix to continue to haunt question time.
Shane Doherty reports: Media censorship of the Qld Parli lifted as Labor returns to government 3 years after defeat.

Shane Doherty reports: Media censorship of the Qld Parli lifted as Labor returns to government 3 years after defeat.

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/580126320106979328

https://twitter.com/SpringborgMP/status/580173281468137472

https://twitter.com/SpringborgMP/status/580148206031372288

Indigenous blessing

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/580139467266109440

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/580141800238661632

A woman’s place is in the House

https://twitter.com/tegangeorge/status/580181428857491456

VLAD laws still in use

  • Kim Stephens reports, “Two alleged Hells Angels have been arrested under Queensland’s anti-association laws following a charity ride earlier this month. More than 100 bikies took part in the Good as Gold charity run, which departed the Browns Plains Hells Angels clubhouse on March 7 and travelled across the New South Wales border. The event was once an annual fixture on the bikie gang’s calendar but was abandoned last year after the previous Newman Government introduced new legislation that made it illegal for three or more members or associates of any criminal motorcycle gang to gather together in public. “: Hells Angels arrested following charity ride.

Fiona Simpson’s ghost tour of the Queensland Parliament

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Plenty of political careers have died there – but Queensland Parliament House holds more than one skeleton in her closet. She regularly betrays her 147 years in daily creaks and groans, moaning when the wind blows too hard, crying out in storms. She’s charming and temperamental, this part of parliament that Joh didn’t build, an architectural diva, whose quirks are on full display with nary an apology.”: Ghosts lurk in Queensland Parliament House.
Fiona Simpson's ghost tour of the Qld Parliament.

Fiona Simpson’s ghost tour of the Qld Parliament.

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(March 23, 2015) – Death of the Dixer

Independent Peter Wellington as Speaker would end theatrics

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Peter Wellington says he will take his transparency crusade to question time, vowing to make ministers answer the question presented to them and declaring the previous parliament’s proceedings “a sham”. The independent member for Nicklin, who is expected to be elected as the Speaker of the 55th Parliament when it sits on Tuesday, said he had spoken to both the leader of the opposition and a government representative about his plan to bring answers back to question time. The former government became known for its theatrics during the questions session, using it as a chance to either spruik the message of the day through Dorothy Dixers written for backbencher MPs by a minister’s staffer or flambé the Opposition while avoiding answering the question which had been asked.”: Peter Wellington vows to end question time theatrics.
  • 612 ABC Brisbane interviews Independent MP Peter Wellington, “Tomorrow Parliament resumes with a new government. Annastacia Palaszczuk will be sworn in as the 39th Premier of Queensland and Independent MP Peter Wellington as the 38th Speaker of the house.”: Peter Wellington on his new role as Speaker.

Caucus meets ahead of Parliament opening

https://twitter.com/nick__w/status/579871848525008896

TC Marcia and aftermath

  • Joshua Robertson reports, “New body to get $30m annual funding to deal with aftermath of increased number of severe natural disasters caused by climate change. The Queensland government is to establish Australia’s first permanent disaster recovery agency to deal with a future of more extreme cyclones and floods brought on by climate change. Deputy premier Jackie Trad said it was inevitable that Queensland, which already “bears the brunt of most of the natural disasters that beset Australia”, would face more catastrophes, more often. The Queensland Reconstruction Authority – originally set up to deal with the 2011 floods, rated by the World Bank as Australia’s largest natural disaster of recent years – was due to wind up in June.”: Queensland to create permanent disaster recovery agency.

Opposition meets ahead of Parliament opening

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “Less than 24 hours before Lawrence Springborg officially takes his seat on the Opposition benches in Parliament, the former Health Minister said he was looking forward to the “real democratic expression of the people of Queensland”, resuming. But with the minority nature of the Queensland government, Mr Springborg said he was also looking forward to the opportunity to have some of his own party’s legislation passed, an opportunity he said was open to the opposition, with Labor only able to pass its laws with the support of independent MP Peter Wellington.” So we have a situation where there wasn’t any real clear win for either major party at the last state election and of course we have the hung parliament, minority government, and that does always mean that parliaments operate very, very differently,” Mr Springborg said.”: Lawrence Springborg flags return of ‘real democratic expression’.

https://twitter.com/SpringborgMP/status/579840688147152896

Anna Bligh on Newman’s defeat

  • KymAgius reports, “Former Queensland premier Anna Bligh says arrogance and hubris lead to the Liberal National Party’s defeat at this year’s state election. On Tuesday it will be three years since the Bligh government suffered a landslide election loss to the LNP, and not even Ms Bligh thought at the time her successors would be one-term wonders. However, her opinion changed as she watched the Newman government fight with doctors, nurses, the judiciary and the public service.”: Anna Bligh, former Queensland premier, says ‘hubris and arrogance’ led to LNP downfall in 2015 election.

Queensland media still not happy with ministry doorstops

  • Amy Remeikis reports, “One day out from the first sitting of the 55th parliament and just three of the Palaszczuk government’s 14 ministers made the decision to face the media and enter their cabinet meeting through the front door of the Executive Building. Ms Palaszczuk, who has promised an “open and transparent” government, said last week she would leave it to her ministers to decide how they entered the building, and whether they bypassed one of the only opportunities journalists have to question ministers without the filter of their staff and advisers. “Under my government they are out in their electorates, they are out getting briefings, they are getting across their issues and in some circumstances they can’t actually walk through the front doors because they are out in their electorates coming in,” she said last Monday. “So that is a matter for them. I am not going to dictate to individual ministers what they can and can’t do … in terms of how they get to and from cabinet.””: State cabinet ministers shun media scrutiny of front-door option.

https://twitter.com/nick__w/status/579794314336714752

 

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(March 22, 2015) – Reef plan not good enough

Plan doesn’t address climate change

  • Matt Watson reports, “Conservation groups are united in their criticism of the Reef 2050 plan which is designed to protect and save the Great Barrier Reef. The Queensland and federal governments say the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan released on Saturday is a comprehensive, strategic assessment and will protect the Great Barrier Reef. It aims to address key recommendations made by the United Nation’s World Heritage Committee to avoid the site being declared “in danger” by UNESCO.”: Great Barrier Reef: Green groups say 2050 plan does nothing to address climate change.

-Ends

Filed Under: #auspol, #Qgame, Budget, Corruption, CSG, David Marler, Democracy, Economy, Education, Environment, Front Page, Palmer United Party, Parliament, Queensland, Rorting, State Politics Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

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