Rage baiting Queensland

Ever been on a TV-show binge and there’s that one character who does something that makes your teeth gnash? You don’t care about this person, you’re not invested, and yet somehow, the writers knew exactly what they were doing. Because the writers know he is probably the reason you’re binging the show. That character is deliberately aggravating — designed to get a reaction. There’s no satisfying arc here; you just lie in wait, hoping for the next moment to ignite your outrage.

Welcome to the rage bait.

In Queensland politics, the Opposition has learned the formula for deploying it like a smoke screen every time the Government has a week of policy peaks. This week, the mention of Greg Hallam — former LGAQ CEO embroiled in a six-figure defamation win after social media posts falsely alleged misconduct — was enough to nab headlines. And just like a well-timed plot twist, the government responded by bringing Michael Healy into the spotlight — the Labor MP whose resurfaced 2018 Facebook post featuring a comedian’s adult-themed video forced an on-the-floor apology in Parliament. Minor missteps, old content, and suddenly the headlines explode — exactly the kind of controversies that an Opposition needs to thrive on.

And it’s something they’ve clearly learned to master. Successful Oppositions know that if you want to distract from a government’s agenda, you concoct a series of outrage moments — carefully crafted controversies, minor missteps, old comments resurfaced — and let the fire spread. Suddenly, the week that should have been a string of wins for the government — police protection orders passed, Daniel’s Law finally across the line — becomes a side note to “Who’s worse, Greg or Michael?”

Rage bait isn’t just for the government — it’s for the public, too. That self-righteous fire that sits at the back of our throats? Toss a controversy in front of it, and watch it devour attention. Governments often have no choice but to respond: clarifying, defending, explaining, apologising. In doing so, they give the Opposition exactly what they want — a week dominated by noise rather than substance.

As with previous Premiers, David Crisafulli has been able to stay above the fray. But the rest of the team? They’re far more susceptible to taking the bait — a poorly timed comment, a historical social media post, or a minor misstep can spark a media frenzy worthy of prime-time drama. The Opposition’s strategy? Theatrically effective: pick a target, light the fuse, and watch the outrage hijack the government’s agenda of the day.

And here’s the kicker: today’s journalists swarm the rage bait, each headline a carefully aimed spark, each click stoking the next fire. Every outrage moment is a story, every story a pageview, every pageview a little more fuel for the frenzy. The system feeds itself — outrage feeds clicks, clicks feed coverage, coverage feeds public fury — rinse, repeat.

And let’s be honest: there’s something almost impressive about the precision of it. Shadow Attorney General Shannon Fentiman, in particular, seems to have the knack for rage-baiting, drawing out exactly the reactions that dominate headlines and social feeds. It’s not subtle, but then again, subtle doesn’t trend.

So, the real question looms: will this government be remembered for its legislative wins and its reforms? Or for being drawn into a rage-bait game that the Opposition seems to have perfected? In an era where outrage is currency and attention is the ultimate prize, the art of distraction has never been more potent — and the Crisafulli Government may need to decide whether to play along or write its own script.