A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
The dust has settled on the most significant Queensland Local Government elections in recent history.
Forced amalgamations and the retirement or defeat of a number of long serving Mayors has changed the face of Local Government in Queensland.
In Cairns, the defeat of long serving conservative Mayor, Kevin Byrnes, has led to the election of a new Mayor, Val Schier, who is said locally to have close contacts with the Labor Party.
Some of her comments before the election caused concern to the business community of Cairns, but the election has left the City Council firmly in the hands of business oriented councillors who have assured prospective investors that Cairns remains open for business.
In Townsville, the 33 year old Labor administration was swept aside. Les Tyrell’s Community Team has secured 11 of the 12 council positions.
While Tyrell’s team was non-political, as opposed to the Labor campaign of Tony Mooney run from Brisbane HQ, it is clear that most of the new Council are certainly not Labor and are pro-community and pro-business.
It was great to note that former Townsville Liberal Councillor, David Crisafulli, who was previously a member of my staff, topped the poll, and at 28 became Deputy Mayor of the expanded Townsville City Council.
In Mackay Col Meng succeeded Julie Boyd, who retired, and in Rockhampton, independent Brad Carter is the new Mayor.
Long serving Labor Mayor of Mount Isa, Ron McCullough, was defeated by conservative John Molony and in Cloncurry, the former Mayor Ed Morrison who was the National Party candidate in Kennedy at the last Federal election, was defeated by Andrew Daniels, whose election was decided by the drawing of a ping pong ball, due to a dead heat between Mr Daniels and John Swalling.
In McKinley, Richmond and Flinders Councils, the incumbent Mayors were easily returned and in the new larger, amalgamated Charters Towers Council, former Dalrymple Mayor, Ben Callcott defeated former Charters Towers Mayor Brian Beveridge.
On the Atherton Tablelands, the new enlarged Tablelands Regional Council elected former National Party Minister, Tom Gilmore to the Mayoralty and in the Cassowary Coast Council - amalgamations of the former Johnson Shire and Cardwell Shire Councils- businessman and farmer Bill Shannon was comfortably elected to the top job.
All in all, the election results in the north would not have been viewed with great comfort by Labor Party Headquarters in Brisbane and, in many of the elections, the arrogance with which the Beattie/ Bligh Governments treated local government was an issue at the polls.
Local Government takes on an increasing role in the provision of services for Queenslanders and it is essential that they achieve some permanency and independence so that they are not again subjected to the political whims of the State Government.
WELCOME TO NEW SUBCRIBERS
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FEDERAL BUDGET
In the lead up to the May 13 Federal Budget, the inexperience of the new Federal Government is clearly showing.
It has certainly hit home to Wayne Swan and Kevin Rudd that rhetoric and slogans prior to the election are easy - but are much more difficult to implement when in power.
The fiasco over carer’s allowances, cutbacks to the weather bureau, and to Natural Resource Management bodies, and the ill-conceived ‘Education Revolution’ that will burden the States and parents with the enormous bill for the ‘one computer per child’ promise, all leave Australians with growing concerns at the approaching budget.
The first 100 days of the new Government has been memorable for the number of back flips, after policy and cutbacks were announced without clearly thinking through the consequences.
The new Government has been left a buoyant economy with surpluses and are in a dream position to have an exciting first budget.
However, the signs are that the budget will reward the unions for their significant support in the election, thus bringing lack of business confidence and concern for the disadvantaged who are not part of Labor’s agenda.
STATE GOVERNMENT FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT
In seizing upon any reason to blame the Howard Government for its own incompetence, the Labor Party has settled upon rhetoric about inflation, as their excuse for their inability to manage the economy.
Inflation can be managed by a Government, but not by talking it up. Perhaps Labor is remembering the double digit inflation during the Hawke-Keating administration?
But whilst under a Liberal Government the Federal Government was able to pay off all debt, the State Governments are borrowing wildly, which caused the Senate to set up a Select Committee to look at State Government Financial Management and the way that mismanagement impacts upon the national economy.
The Terms of Reference for the Committee are set out at www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/sgfm_ctte/tor.htm. Submissions close on 30 April 2008.
Evidence taken at the first Committee Hearing in Adelaide suggested that windfall revenues that the South Australian State Government has received from the Commonwealth as a result of increased GST payments and from their own property taxes, has not been wisely spent or invested in long term infrastructure.
SINGLE DESK WHEAT EXPORTS
The Labor Government has introduced a Bill dismantling the single desk arrangements that had existed in the export wheat industry since 1948.
While the Senate Committee inquiring into the Bill has yet to come to any conclusion, it does seem to me that the days of the single desk arrangements are very limited.
West Australian export growers seem to have been substantially disadvantaged by the single desk, and, in spite of the objection of the National Party and some Liberals, it does appear to me that the new Bill will be given approval in the Parliament. It will be a whole new world for the wheat industry, and the new arrangement will need to be carefully managed and supervised.
LET ME KNOW
If there are issues that you believe the Federal Opposition should be investigating, please do not hesitate to drop me a note.
As a Senator, the whole of the State is my constituency, and I am happy to help in any way possible.
I also welcome your feedback, positive or negative, on any of the issues raised in this online newsletter.
Ian Macdonald
Liberal Senator for Queensland
Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia
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