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Queensland politics - nothing quite like it!

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drsmith

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28 October 2008
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Listening to the ABC's PM tonight, it would seem that the government of Campbell Newman has some real problems.

Amongst other problems, the hostilities in that parliament today between the Libs and the Nats casts doubt in my mind over Campbell Newman's leadership abilities.
 
Re: Queensland politics - nothing quiet like it

Quiet? I think it is very noisy.
 
Well, it seems the people of Queensland are less than entirely impressed by the Newman government now, given the latest polls.
 
Yes, we are the only state who play ball on verandahs using baseball bats and politicians heads.

Campbell Newman had to do something drastic after the complete decimation of the Queensland economy and public assets by Labor. It hurts, it hurts me and my family. It had to be done to avoid insolvency.

Now that it's done my guess is that the LNP will turn to infrastructure and encouraging mining, after a long ALP hiatus.

Oh, and our baseball bats are being polished for the ALP in the 2013 Federal Election. Mob of muppets.

gg
 

While Campbell Newman is doing what he had to do, he in turn has made himself unpopular with the swinging voters and Gillard will use the baseball bat in Queensland at the next Federal election just to gain some votes on the stupid mistakes Beattie and Bligh made at our expense.. Grrrrrrrrrrr!!!!!
 
Newman's austerity program has been seized on with delight by Gillard and Swan...probably not by Abbott.


http://www.theaustralian.com.au/nat...inding-his-teeth/story-e6frgd0x-1226543762194
 

Calliope said:
Newman's austerity program has been seized on with delight by Gillard and Swan...probably not by Abbott.
Click to expand...
Exactly right. Mr Newman has presented Federal Labor with a huge gift.
He could have gone about reducing the redundant workers in a far more diplomatic fashion.
Imo he's a disappointment.
 
Julia said:
Exactly right. Mr Newman has presented Federal Labor with a huge gift.
He could have gone about reducing the redundant workers in a far more diplomatic fashion.
Imo he's a disappointment.
Click to expand...

So Julia, how would you have gone about reducing unwanted public servants. More public servants than were really required. Bligh engaged them just reduce unemployment and boast how she created new jobs.

There really is no easy way of sacking unwanted staff.. They had to go and so whether Newman made himself unpopular so be it. He will be proved right in the long run.

I cannot see how you can claim he is a disappointment. You should be directing your disappointment at Beattie and Bligh for they are the ones who created the financial mess in the first place.

You are well aware of Labor's history of money mismanagement.
 

It was a necessary act by Newman.

Queensland has many fine, hardworking public servants.

Speak to any of them and they will relate tales of a not insignificant minority who did sweet bugger all, lived on sick leave or on compo accusing each other of "bullying".

It was a bloated ineffective Public Service, held back by the bludging, ineffective, untrainable or gutless few, and a Labor Government **** scared of the Unions.

You just have to look at the Bundaberg or Payroll debacles.

It will now be more effective once the Queensland coffers fill with mining, tourism and agricultural money, which is spent on services for all Queenslanders under good financial governance.

gg
 
You are missing the point. I have not suggested the excess public servants should not have been dismissed.
Mr Newman did, however, go about it in a very insensitive, bull headed way, typical of someone with his army background.

My actual point - which is demonstrated by the polls - is that by acting so peremptorily, he has given Federal Labor a total gift in that they will extrapolate what has occurred in Queensland to the assurance to the electorate that Mr Abbott will do the same federally.
Given how Mr Newman's rating has fallen in Queensland as a result, are you really going to say "oh well, so be it" if Federal Labor is re-elected this year? I don't think so.

Your view is somewhat short sighted imo.
 
Julia said:
You are missing the point. I have not suggested the excess public servants should not have been dismissed.
Mr Newman did, however, go about it in a very insensitive, bull headed way, typical of someone with his army background.
Click to expand...

Perhaps you could tell us what these very insensitive, bull headed ways were, and how you would have done it differently?
 
Not my responsibility to explain how it should have been done. I'm not a politician or a tactician.
You can see from the polls, where much of the support for Newman has been lost, that my observation is common to much of the electorate. One aspect which the government should have highlighted was the quite generous redundancy packages that were offered to the sacked people, rather than just saying "well, it had to be done" which came across as insensitive.

Can you not see the simple point I'm making which is less to comment on what Newman has done, and much more to remark on what a great gift his bull at a gate approach has been to Federal Labor?

If you don't think Gillard et al will not take the theme "Just look at how many the LNP in Qld sacked! That's nothing compared to what Tony Abbott will do."
Given their totally confected campaign about Abbott being a misogynist - which has apparently been pretty successful - do't you think they'll be rubbing their hands with glee at such a great line for their advertising?

Do you consider that Mr Newman has acted 100% appropriately and that the electorate should be as much in support of him as they were at the time he was elected?
 
Julia said:
Do you consider that Mr Newman has acted 100% appropriately
Click to expand...

No politician gives 100%. I would give him eight out of 10.

and that the electorate should be as much in support of him as they were at the time he was elected?
Click to expand...

Seeing he was elected on the basis of cleaning up the Labor mess...YES.
 

I don't know where you think all this growth in mining and tourism is going to come from with the mining boom cooling off and the high aussie dollar hitting tourism.
 

Have first-hand confirmation of this from several sources - there is no doubt that there was a deeply entrenched culture in some segments of the public service of doing the least amount of real work possible, whilst fiercly justifying and protecting one's budget. There is no doubt that fat had to be cut - but I wonder if it necessarily had to be cut all at once. Savings definately had to be made, but you don't need to get the public offside by slashing and burning everything at once.
 
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