Money's Too Tight To Mention

Newly minted Queensland Premier has plans: there was a plan for day one, the day on which he was sworn in. There was a plan for the first week, and I dare say, the plan for his first month is merely a step along the way to the traditional First Hundred Days media milestone.

At this early stage - just three weeks into a three year term - a lot has been done, but nothing has been delivered. 

This is the process of new government. Unlike a re-elected team, a new government needs to spend precious time learning: where are the pencils (and the loos)? Who's in charge of X-Y-Z? What does the balance sheet really look like? What projects are underway, and what's their status? Who stays on my team, and who do I want to replace? 

In Premier Newman's case, there's a lot more questions than usual. He's never been a state parliamentarian; he has no experience in state government. He's in the job now; he has to be a fast learner on many levels. 

I suspect that for Newman and his team, the magnitude of the task is becoming clearer. Today, Premier Newman announced that the State Budget will be delayed by three months, not because Queensland's economic position is different to what he'd expected. Newman explained that the reasons for delay are so that his restructured departments can realign their budgets, and Peter Costello's independent audit can be completed and digested.

I've worked on my fair share of projects, and deadlines move for all sorts of reasons. Audits are conducted, restructures are rolled out, business priorities change, managers come and go, priorities are altered and budgets are redefined. 

One thing doesn't change: there is an end to our financial year and we report on our performance to our shareholders and to the Stock Exchange. We don't get to move our reporting dates at will. In fact,  I doubt that our shareholders would be delighted with an interim economic statement, and an IOU for a Real Budget. That's what Newman is providing to the people of Queensland...on a date yet to be determined. 

We are your shareholders, Premier Newman. 

Meanwhile, the Queensland Public Service won't be spending their time planning swanky conferences and attending feel-good courses either. Those have been outlawed, along with consultants. I guess current contracts will be honoured, so it's not so much a ban on consultants as it is a hiring ban on consultants. Phew! Peter Costello's audit is not in danger. He just won't be able to deliver his results from a five-star resort in Far North Queensland.

I hate the idea of banning training courses, though. In my perfect world, employers would have a responsibility to provide the means for employees to improve their skills. In fact, it would be mandatory.

More urgently, staff training is an essential component of managing workplace change. Campbell Newman has used the restructuring of some departments as reason to delay the Budget. A restructure of that size is a significant change. He must allow those departments to manage the changes coming their way.

Other cuts already announced include the now infamous Premier's Literary Awards, and the Government's Corporate Boxes at various venues. At least one of those cuts makes sense.

Three weeks in, Premier Newman has stated that his immediate goal is to cut waste. I admire the focus, but with caution born of experience: Don't cut too fast or too deep. 

Then again, the new Premier of Queensland is an ambitious man who has an ambitious agenda. 

What Kind Of Day Has It Been?

It's after midnight on Friday night - Saturday morning, really - and I think it's time now to admit that tomorrow will be one of those rare days when a state officially flips ends of the political divide. Tomorrow, the ALP Government that has steered Queensland through most of the post-Joh years will take a monumental beating, if the polls are to be believed. 

Unfortunately for the ALP true believers, the polls tend to be in agreement with each other. They aren't close either; the LNP is going to win tomorrow, and win big. 

Since the 2009 election, the ALholds held government with 51 seats. By this time tomorrow, that number could be approaching single digits. Thirty or forty good people will lose their jobs tomorrow.

Those people will be replaced by new members of parliament from the LNP, and possibly a couple from Katter's Australian Party. There might even be a Green.

These are big changes, and while commentators will be talking policies, and punters will be celebrating - or not - an infinite number of smaller changes will be taking place in the lives of so many people. 

Outgoing Premier Anna Bligh will probably sleep in on Sunday. Another thirty or forty outgoing members will probably do the same. There'll be wounds to heal, hangovers to endure and lives to re-arrange. 

It doesn't stop there; electorate office staff may change. Campaign staff will move on to the next challenge, some within the new LNP Government. Media will change focus from the campaign to the formation of a new state government. The campaign buses will need new paint jobs and new missions. Public Service Executives will be nervous.

It will be easier on the outgoing ALP members, although the emotional impact will be cruel. Most of them will be allowed to disappear quietly into their lives. The higher profile ministers won't be as lucky. They'll be watched, at least for a while. I hope they'll all keep doing great things. Anything less is a cop out.

Anna Bligh will probably retain her seat, but will she continue to lead the ALP in Opposition, or will she remove herself to the back bench? Will there be a back bench, or will the ALP have so few seats that every member will have to step up?

And Kate Jones? This week's polling suggests that she won't defeat Campbell Newman. Kate's young - 33 - with a high profile and a degree in journalism. Kate can do anything she wants to.
Meanwhile, Campbell Newman will be thinking about formalising all those ideas he's been tossing around. He'll need to get in a room with Bruce McIver and the LNP chiefs to form a functional government from a group of politicians high on adrenaline and unused to governing. It's heady stuff.

Newman has the experience as team leader, but no experience at state level. He'll have help though; a winning LNP team would include a rich vein of former leaders, although their experience will be in opposition. 

It's a huge change in perspective, from a position of negativity and powerlessness to a position where your decisions will be enacted. Please be careful; these aren't just concepts or ideals now.

I hope both sides have learned from recent history. I hope that whatever remains of the Queensland ALP on Sunday takes note of the Federal Opposition and chooses a different approach. The role of the Opposition in Queensland is so much more important than most Oppositions as Queensland has no Upper House. The ALP will need to do more than oppose; they'll need to oversee the Government from a position of political impotence. With numbers as insignificant as maybe 15% of the seats, they need to be the other half of Queensland's democracy.

And the LNP Government? What are their challenges? Firstly, they'll need to stop campaigning and actually govern. Secondly, they'll need to accept that things will look different from the grown up seats. Some of their policies and promises might not survive the reality test; they need to make decisions that are right for Queensland, not decisions that will get them re-elected. 

Finally, they need to remember who they're governing for, and that's all Queenslanders. The LNP won't win because Queenslanders love them and believe in them. The LNP will win because they aren't the Labor Party and because it's time for a change. Somewhere around half of us will be voting for someone else.

In all likelihood,Queensland will elect an LNP Government tomorrow. It'll be up to them to earn our respect.

The Fun Theory

Watch this one minute video. No really, watch it. You'll enjoy it.

Now, here's your challenge. What do we need to change (politics, behaviours, media, attitude) and how do we make that fun?

Okay,  two questions. Leave your answers below.