2020/21 Budget
The Treasure Cameron Dick has delivered his first budget which largely mirrors the fiscal position.
The biggest news is the substantial deterioration in revenue as a result of the COVID recession. While Queensland’s fiscal position was expected to take a huge hit, the scale is somewhat larger than predicted. Revenue is forecast to be $12.3 billion lower since the Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Review in December 2019.
This includes a $4.5 billion less in tax revenue, $3.8 billion less in GST revenue and $4 billion less in royalty revenue due in part to the deteriorating coal price and international trade tensions.
That being said, the Government was upfront with voters before the election about its intention to borrow to build and fill the gaps in our economy where required.
The government is however committed to spending to grow and step in when the private sector retreats as it did during the GFC. This includes:
- $54 billion capital works program over four years
- $14.8 billion in 2020/21 alone
- $21.8 billion for health
- $1.6 billion for infrastructure projects, including upgrading and increasing capacity at major hospitals and building seven new satellite hospitals
- $17.5 billion for education and training
- $1.7 billion or the Building Future Schools Fund for new schools, land acquisition, and future planning
- Almost half a billion to continue to air-condition state schools
- $6.3 billion for transport infrastructure
- This includes the ‘second M1’, Bruce Hwy upgrades, Centenary bridge upgrade, Ipswich Mwy upgrades, M1 upgrades, Gold Coast light rail stage 3A, etc.
While there are challenges, there are also positive signs with the speed of the recovery in Queensland. The latest figures show the state has added the same number of jobs lost due to COVID, and while it’s not the same people or the same type of jobs perhaps – it is a very impressive milestone. This together with the 85,000 people migration boom we’re expecting in Queensland bodes well if the settings are right for our economic recovery.
Cabinet
The cabinet has seen the addition of three new ministers replacing the three who retired at the last election. Scott Stewart, Member for Townsville takes on the resources portfolio, a member of the Labor Right should provide comfort to mining companies, the QRC and those Queenslanders who rely on resource jobs.
The other new ministers being Leanne Linnard, Member for Nudgee now looking after Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs and Meaghan Scanlon, Member for Gaven on the Gold Coast and a member of the Labor Left will take on the Environment portfolio.
Major changes include Steven Miles moving into the State Development portfolio to focus on the economic recovery through the substantial capital works program and Yvette D’Ath taking over in Health.
Former lawyer, Shannon Fentiman gets a big promotion to Attorney-General in recognition of a good performance in the past term.
The remainder of changes are movements to the secondary portfolios of Ministers with the majority continuing in their previous roles.
|
Minister |
Title |
|
|
ANNASTACIA PALASZCZUK |
Premier and Minister for Trade |
|
|
STEVEN MILES |
Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning |
|
|
CAMERON DICK |
Treasurer and Minister for Investment |
|
|
GRACE GRACE |
Minister for Education, Minister for Industrial Relations and Minister for Racing |
|
|
YVETTE D’ATH |
Minister for Health and Ambulance Services |
|
|
MARK BAILEY |
Minister for Transport and Main Roads |
|
|
MICK DE BRENNI |
Minister for Energy, Renewables and Hydrogen and Minister for Public Works and Procurement |
|
|
SHANNON FENTIMAN |
Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Minister for Women and Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence |
|
|
MARK RYAN |
Minister for Police and Corrective Services and Minister for Fire and Emergency Services |
|
|
STIRLING HINCHLIFFE |
Minister for Tourism Industry Development and Innovation and Minister for Sport |
|
|
MARK FURNER |
Minister for Agricultural Industry Development and Fisheries and Minister for Rural Communities |
|
|
LEEANNE ENOCH |
Minister for Communities and Housing, Minister for Digital Economy and Minister for the Arts |
|
|
GLENN BUTCHER |
Minister for Regional Development and Manufacturing and Minister for Water |
|
|
DI FARMER |
Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development |
|
|
CRAIG CRAWFORD |
Minister for Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships |
|
|
SCOTT STEWART |
Minister for Resources |
|
|
MEAGHAN SCANLON |
Minister for the Environment and the Great Barrier Reef and Minister for Science and Youth Affairs |
|
|
LEANNE LINARD |
Minister for Children and Youth Justice and Minister for Multicultural Affairs |
Assistant Ministers
Partly due to the increase in members in her caucus post-election and to reward up and coming talent, the Premier has expanded the number of Assistant Minister from five to eight:
|
Assistant Ministers |
Title |
|
BART MELLISH, Member for Aspley |
Assistant Minister to the Premier for Veterans’ Affairs, Trade and COVID Economic Recovery |
|
NIKKI BOYD, Member for Pine Rivers |
Assistant Minister for Local Government |
|
CHARIS MULLEN, Member for Jordan |
Assistant Minister for Treasury |
|
BRITTANY LAUGA, Member for Keppel |
Assistant Minister for Education |
|
JULIEANNE GILBERT, Member for Mackay |
Assistant Minister for Health Infrastructure |
|
BRUCE SAUNDERS, Member for Maryborough |
Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing and Regional Roads |
|
LANCE MCCALLUM, Member for Bundamba |
Assistant Minister for Hydrogen Development and the 50% Renewable Energy Target by 2030 |
|
MICHAEL HEALY, Member for Cairns |
Assistant Minister for Tourism Industry Development |
Machinery of Government
There has been a number of ‘machinery of government’ changes as a result of the new ministerial portfolios mentioned above. For a comprehensive list of exactly which Minister is responsible for what area of government polices please click here.
Directors-General
The Premier has largely maintained the status-quo in the leadership of Departments and agencies going into this next term to provide stability.
|
Departments / Agencies |
Name |
Title |
Current status |
|
Department of the Premier and Cabinet |
Mr Dave Stewart |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning |
Mr Damien Walker |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Coordinator-General |
Ms Toni Power |
Coordinator-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Queensland Treasury |
Ms Rachel Hunter |
Under Treasurer |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Education |
Mr Tony Cook |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Queensland Health |
Dr John Wakefield |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Transport and Main Roads |
Mr Neil Scales |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Energy and Public Works |
Mr James Purtill |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Justice and Attorney-General |
Mr David Mackie |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Queensland Police Service |
Ms Katarina Carroll |
Commissioner |
Continuing appointment |
|
Queensland Corrective Services |
Mr Peter Martin |
Commissioner |
Continuing appointment |
|
Queensland Fire and Emergency Services |
Mr Greg Leach |
Commissioner |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Tourism, Innovation and Sport |
Mr John Lee |
Acting Director-General |
Temporary Acting appointment |
|
Department of Agriculture and Fisheries |
Ms Beth Woods (retiring) Mr Bob Gee (to transition from early 2021) |
Director-General |
Continuing appointments |
|
Department of Communities and Housing and Digital Economy |
Ms Clare O’Conner |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water |
Mr Frankie Carroll |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Employment, Small Business and Training |
Mr Warwick Agnew |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Seniors and Disability Services and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships |
Dr Chris Sarra Ms Mary-Anne Curtis |
Director-General Associate Director-General, Seniors and Disability Services |
Continuing appointment Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Resources |
Mr Mike Kaiser |
Acting Director-General |
Temporary Acting appointment (commencing January 2021) |
|
Department of Environment and Science |
Mr Jamie Merrick |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |
|
Department of Children, Youth Justice and Multicultural Affairs |
Ms Deidre Mulkerin |
Director-General |
Continuing appointment |