Queensland’s political re-set

 

28 October 2024: Following the Queensland state election on Saturday 26 October, the political landscape has shifted. With an incoming LNP Government, priorities and policies are poised to recast the business environment over the coming years.

Under new Premier, David Crisafulli, the change in government will bring opportunities and challenges, making this a crucial time to assess the potential impacts on your business.

Key milestones

The following table outlines key economic/legislative milestones that can be expected in the first few months of the Crisafulli Government.

Swearing-in of the Crisafulli Ministry

• This will provide clarity as to who will make up the new Ministry.
• David Crisafulli and Jarrod Bleijie to be sworn in as Premier and Deputy Premier on Monday 28 October 2024. It is expected that the full cabinet will be confirmed by end of the week.

First week (outlined in the LNPs 100 Day Plan*)

• Instruct the Department of Justice and Attorney-General to commence drafting the Making Queensland Safer Laws
• Scrap Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project
• Hold first LNP Cabinet meeting
• Establish Cabinet Housing Ministerial Taskforce
• Instruct Treasury to begin abolishing Stamp Duty on new builds for first home buyers
• Task Ministers across each portfolio with Charter Letters. These letters will be publicly available.

Potential first sitting week 19 – 21 November

• The first sitting week is usually held in the week after the third Saturday after the general election
• David Crisafulli has committed to two sitting weeks before Christmas.

Within first month

• Establish KPIs for Ministers and Directors-General
• Implement the Electricity Maintenance Guarantee on government-owned power plants, with full transparency and accountability of maintenance requests to Shareholding Ministers
• Appoint an Independent Infrastructure Coordination Authority to conduct a review and map out infrastructure and transport needs for Queensland and the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, and report in 100 days
• Begin work on a 20-Year Tourism Plan
• Direct departments to work on making 50 cent public transport fares permanent.

End of 2024

• Legislate the Making Queensland Safer Laws
• Allow recipients of the First Home Owner Grant to rent out a room without a penalty
• Unlock church and charity-owned land for the community housing sector
• Introduce legislation to re-establish the Productivity Commission, with its first order of business to be a regulatory review into the building industry
• Re-establish the Bruce Highway Advisory Council
• Establish a Tourism Cabinet Subcommittee
• Establish a Resources Cabinet Subcommittee.

First 100 Days

• Establish an independent Public Sector Commission
• Expand Natural Resource Management Program to preserve Queensland’s natural environment
• Re-focus the Small Business Commissioner on red tape reduction and dispute management for small businesses
• Commence work on expanding opportunities for home ownership in Queensland’s Indigenous communities.

Potential first sitting week in 2025

25 – 27 February 2025

• Usually, the first sitting week of the new year is held in the last full week of February. This allows the public service to return to full capacity following the Christmas break. This also gives significant time for meeting requests to be sent soon after business returns in the New Year (but before Australia Day).

2025-26 State Budget By June 2025

• As per convention, this comes after the Federal Budget, which is typically held in May, but will be subject to the date of the 2025 Federal election.

The full 100 Day Plan can be found at: https://online.lnp.org.au/first-one-hundred-days

Private sector opportunities

Last week the LNP revealed the cost of its election pledges as $7.1 billion. While significantly lower than Labor’s $9.7 billion pledges, the state’s debt, as forecast in the budget will be essentially unchanged over the next four years. S&P Global have already warned that Queensland’s AA+ credit rating is under threat of being downgraded.

The debt crunch may provide opportunities for private sector organisations who are able to supplant work undertaken in key government agencies and provide greater efficiencies.

We recommend that businesses engage key stakeholders early to start a dialogue on collaborative strategies that can support the new LNP Government’s goals.

Rowland’s government engagement services

Rowland offers tailored services to assist you in understanding the government’s priorities. We can develop a strategic plan for political engagement that aligns with your business goals.

Our government engagement services can help you:

• Engage with government – drafting of congratulatory letters, biographies and contact details for key stakeholders.
• Identify opportunities and risks associated with the new government’s agenda and sector priorities.
• Develop effective narrative and messaging to engage with key decision-makers, leveraging relationships and understanding the nuances of new policies.
• Navigate compliance and regulatory changes by interpreting emerging policies and positioning your organisation proactively.
• Forge an initial policy assessment of the new government that can assist in informing your business strategy.

As the LNP’s agenda takes shape, please feel free to reach out to discuss how we can work together to craft a plan tailored to your specific needs and objectives.