The Queensland Government has vowed to strengthen transparency and accountability measures in the state’s political system. Premier Anna Bligh introduced in Parliament today the second tranche of Integrity Reform Bills. “We want Queenslanders to have confidence in our political process going forward,” Ms Bligh said in a statement. “This is about building a stronger, modern […]
3 August, 2010
Image: Tourism Queensland. State Government stimulus is needed to help improve unemployment and invigorate the local economy in far North Queensland, the Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) has said. A report sponsored by the LGAQ has shown Far North Queensland is still suffering the effects of the tourism downturn with an unemployment rate of 12.5 […]
6 April, 2010
By Angela Dorizas The Queensland Ombudsman has released his review of complaints handling within state agencies. The report by Ombudsman David Bevan found that agencies had significantly improved their complaints management systems since the introduction of his Complaints Management Program to help state government agencies deal more fairly and efficiently with community complaints. “When we commenced this […]
4 February, 2010
By Staff Writer Councils across Queensland have launched a recruitment drive for members of the State Government’s Green Army. Minister for Employment and Economic Development, Andrew Fraser, announced 262 new ‘green’ traineeships with 48 councils across the state. He said the $57 million Green Army initiative was designed to create jobs, strengthen the state’s tourism industry and […]
12 August, 2009
Former journalist turned Queensland Integrity Commissioner, David Solomon, speaks to Adam Coleman. Can you tell us a little about your career? Almost my entire career has been as a journalist. I began in Sydney in 1962 and after 15 months moved to Canberra as the chief local reporter of The Canberra Times. Several years later I moved […]
3 August, 2009
By Angela Dorizas The Queensland Government will become the first in Australia to legislate a ban on the payment of success fees to lobbyists who achieve favourable outcomes from government for their clients. Premier Anna Bligh’s announcement comes just weeks after former MP Gordon Nuttall was jailed for accepting secret payments from businessmen. She said […]
30 July, 2009
By Penny Langfield Local governments in Queensland are steeling themselves for the fallout from the removal of the state’s fuel subsidy. The 8.354-cents-a-litre fuel subsidy, introduced in 1997 under the Fuel Subsidy Act, will be scrapped from July 1 this year following an announcement made just prior to last week’s State Budget. The budget also […]
21 June, 2009
By Adam Coleman Local Government in Queensland has accused the State Government of breaking an election promise, cost shifting and “underlying hostility to urban councils” following the announcement of the 2009-10 Queensland State Budget. Local Government Association of Queensland (LGAQ) executive director, Greg Hallam said it was “sadly ironic that the State has protected its […]
17 June, 2009
By Adam Coleman The 2009-10 Queensland State Budget has received mixed reactions from the state’s business community. The Chamber of Commerce & Industry Queensland (CCIQ) was critical of the budget suggesting businesses will ‘bear much pain’ and calling for further action to find savings within Government. A CCIQ spokesperson said the budget “unfortunately does not […]
17 June, 2009
Following months of industrial action, the Queensland Government has finally signed a three-year wage agreement with more than 125,000 public servants that offers a 4.5 per cent pay rise in the first year and a four per cent rise in the two following years. “The minimum increase will be $34 a week, applying for workers such […]
27 October, 2008
About 5,000 members from the Queensland Public Sector Union (QPSU) and many other unions met today to oppose the Premier’s 3.25 per cent wages offer for hospital workers and other public sector employees. At Queens Park in the Brisbane CBD, an estimated 4000 public sector employees rallied including firefighters, cleaners, paramedics, teacher aides, rail workers […]
30 September, 2008
Former Queensland premier Peter Beattie has been appointed as Queensland's Trade Commissioner to the Americas. Mr Beattie, who retired from politics in September last year, is currently lecturing at a university in the United States but will take up the new $200,000-a-year role in Los Angeles in June. Queensland made a number of other trade […]
31 March, 2008
A planned Centre for Excellence in Project Management aims to increase the number of skilled project managers available to Queensland's growing building and construction industry. A joint initiative between the Department of Public Works, the Department of Education and Training and the Australian Institute of Project Management, the centre will foster project management excellence throughout […]
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