Crisafulli vows to ‘rebuild’ Queensland public service into nation’s best
David Crisafulli has pledged to rebuild Queensland’s public service and develop it into the nation’s best.
Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli is seen during Question Time at Queensland Parliament House, in Brisbane, Tuesday, September 12, 2023. (AAP Image/Darren England) NO ARCHIVING
The opposition leader detailed a seven-point plan ahead of the 2024 state election, taking the chance to speak directly to industry leaders at the Queensland Media Club after the premier’s late cancellation.
Annastacia Palaszczuk was initially set to speak on Tuesday but will now address the media club on February 6.
As part of his pitch, Mr Crisafulli said he wanted to “empower” the public service.
The LNP leader said he would establish an independent public sector commission, severing the link between the premier’s department and the Public Sector Governance Council.
Mr Crisafulli’s team have constantly come under fire from the government over the LNP’s cuts to the public service when they were last in power under Campbell Newman, from 2012-15.
The Newman government sacked 14,000 public service workers.
Mr Crisafulli admitted the seven-point plan tabled on Tuesday was an acknowledgement that their former government got it wrong and didn’t deliver a turnaround in services.
“We have learnt and we have acknowledged and reflected the result,” he said.
“Queensland has spoken, and you’ve got to acknowledge that and you have to learn from that.”
The new plan involves streamlining university and TAFE graduates under pathways that involve a two-year program consisting of four, six-month placements across the public service.
“It’s a long term vision to grow the public service from within – the best public service in the country,” he said.
The LNP’s plan includes reviewing internal complaints procedures in the hopes of restoring procedural fairness, and requiring all contracts and consultancies to include training and professional development components.
Mr Crisafulli also referred to no forced redundancies within the public service as part of the initiative.
The LNP leader was later quizzed on his party’s stance on coal royalties, renewable energy targets, his decision to walk back on Queensland’s path to treaty and whether his party would change abortion laws if elected.
With Queensland Resources Council members in attendance, Mr Crisafulli said the LNP had voted in favour of higher coal royalties twice and he intended to do the same, with a full tax plan to be tabled in the lead-up to the October 2024 election.
On renewables, Mr Crisafulli said he was committed to net zero by 2050 but would not comment on laws introduced by the government to legislate specific targets by 2035.
Mr Crisafulli was circumlocutory when asked about his stance on abortion laws before indicating there would be no legislative changes if elected to a four-year term.