Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games Arrangements and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2024

Opposed the bill on all fronts, arguing the government treated parliament with contempt by rushing the bill through without committee scrutiny, that repealing the Path to Treaty Act was done without dignity or respect to First Nations people, that the WH&S changes would make workplaces less safe, and that the planning amendments put housing supply at risk.

“Today, on the first day of the new parliament, the Premier and his government have treated this House with complete contempt.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Defended the repeal of the Path to Treaty Act, arguing the inquiry had become a lawyers' picnic spending 48 per cent of its budget on legal fees, and that the funds should be redirected to measurable programs to close the gap in areas like education, housing and health in remote Indigenous communities.

“When you look at the closing the gap indicators, they are getting worse. They got worse under that mob opposite.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Strongly opposed the repeal of the Path to Treaty Act, arguing the government had shown fundamental disrespect to First Nations people by tacking the repeal onto an unrelated bill and passing it without consultation, and moved amendments to preserve the inquiry's work.

“Today these young people witnessed the Crisafulli LNP government undermine any future relationship between First Peoples of this state and the Queensland government.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Focused on the Olympics aspects of the bill, criticising the former government's chaotic decision-making on games infrastructure from the Gabba to QSAC, and arguing the independent coordination authority would deliver the calm, calculated decision-making needed.

“Thank goodness the adults have finally taken over the government with cool, calm, calculated decision-making.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Opposed the bill as a trashing of democratic processes, arguing the government denied Queenslanders any opportunity to comment on important changes to the Olympics, workplace health and safety, and the Path to Treaty, and that the repeal of the Path to Treaty Act was delivered with brutality and disdain.

“It is cruel, it is mean spirited and it is grotesque.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Focused on the Olympics and planning aspects, arguing the bill establishes the independent authority needed to restore confidence in games delivery and that the WH&S notice-of-entry changes are reasonable and align with Commonwealth legislation.

“This bill represents our commitment to our state's future to ensure the games deliver a legacy of opportunity, of growth and of pride for generations of Queenslanders to come.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the treaty repeal as the KAP had opposed the Path to Treaty from the start, and noted the omnibus nature of the bill lumps unrelated legislation together. Opposed the Olympics spending as robbing regional Queensland of infrastructure funding but supported the transparency provisions of the new authority.

“The KAP has called for the Brisbane Olympics to be scrapped right from day one. We simply cannot afford it and regional Queensland in particular will suffer because of it.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported all elements of the bill including the Olympics governance reforms, the WH&S changes aligning with the federal Fair Work Act, and the repeal of the Path to Treaty Act in favour of practical outcomes for First Nations communities.

“The pathway under the former state Labor government was always one that would only lead to more division and not one that has ever focused on improving real and practical outcomes.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Strongly opposed the bill, arguing the Premier had perverted parliamentary processes, silenced First Nations voices, begun dismantling workers' rights, and would inevitably build an expensive new inner-city stadium while ignoring regional Queensland.

“Labor says no to the LNP, Labor says no to Premier Crisafulli and Labor says no to this bill!”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the bill's 100-day infrastructure review as essential to delivering the tourism and transport legacy that the Olympics should provide for Queensland, noting her department is leading a 20-year tourism plan in conjunction with the review.

“We owe it to our children, to our future athletes, and to each and every tourism operator and every single Queenslander that those operators employ to get this right.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the treaty repeal, having been one of the first to oppose the Path to Treaty in Cairns. Criticised the Olympics as a Brisbane party that will not deliver meaningful legacy for regional Queensland, but acknowledged the new authority includes regional representation.

“The first piece of legislation to come before this House is to make sure that the authority that is set up to deliver a party for two weeks to this state is being run the way the new government wants to see it run.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the bill's Olympics governance reforms and state facilitated development planning changes, arguing the former government wasted 1,200 days and destroyed public enthusiasm for the games through inaction.

“Those opposite had 1,200 days to do something. They have achieved something on that side and are now the opposition.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Strongly opposed the WH&S changes as making workplaces less safe for every worker in Queensland and removing even employers' ability to cease unsafe work. Also criticised the removal of 'legacy' from the Olympic authority's title and the heartless repeal of the Path to Treaty Act.

“I challenge any member opposite to get up on their feet and say that these changes will make workplaces safer, because not one of them would be able to do it with a straight face.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the bill's Olympics reforms to end 1,200 days of Labor chaos, and defended the WH&S changes as necessary to stop the CFMEU from weaponising workplace safety, citing specific examples of disruption on construction sites including Cross River Rail.

“The CFMEU think they own construction sites. They say when the next concrete pour happens. They say who enters sites and who does not. It stops now.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Strongly opposed the bill, particularly the repeal of the Path to Treaty Act which he described as disgraceful and racist, argued the WH&S changes would make workplaces less safe and cost lives, and criticised the trashing of parliamentary process as a stain on the institution.

“The first act of this 58th Parliament is an absolute stain on the institution.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the bill as delivering on the LNP's election mandate, including establishing the independent Olympic authority, ending the CFMEU's bullying on worksites through the 24-hour notice requirement, and strengthening the Public Service Commission.

“The LNP government will end Labor's over 1,200 days of chaos, with the independent authority to report within 100 days.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Opposed the bill as a sad day for Queensland that strips workers' rights and axes the Truth-telling and Healing Inquiry with no consultation, respect or decency, arguing the Premier has failed his own test of treating people with compassion.

“When the Premier, David Crisafulli, said that this matter would be handled with respect and dignity, he has clearly misled the people of Queensland.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported all elements of the bill including the Olympics authority, WH&S changes to stop the CFMEU holding Queenslanders to ransom, planning amendments to restore local government partnerships, and the treaty repeal reflecting the views of his electorate which had the highest no vote in the referendum.

“What this bill does is ensure the CFMEU stops holding Queenslanders to ransom.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the treaty repeal, arguing the $300 million would be better spent on practical outcomes like subsidised freight, health services, and infrastructure in remote Indigenous communities. Opposed the Olympics as a waste of money that deprives regional Queensland of critical infrastructure investment.

“We cannot deliver cheap grocery prices; you pay $13 for a loaf of bread in Doomadgee. They are still getting cut off for three months of the year. Surely that must be the priority.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Supported the bill as delivering the calm, clear direction Queenslanders voted for, including the 100-day Olympic review to deliver legacy infrastructure, WH&S changes to end CFMEU bullying, planning reforms to partner with local government, and the treaty repeal.

“Getting things done for Queenslanders is what counts.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Opposed the treaty repeal as a betrayal of the bipartisan commitment made in Cairns, arguing the Premier's beautiful words in the original debate meant nothing and that the government's treatment of the inquiry chair and First Nations people showed they cannot be trusted.

“We passed the bill and we started on the journey... However, it was a painful process we were asking First Nations people to go through... we told them—this parliament told them—that they could trust us. We said they could trust us, but it turned out they could not trust us at all.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard

Focused on the Olympics provisions, emphasising the importance of legacy infrastructure based on the positive experience of the 2018 Commonwealth Games, and criticised the former government's 1,200 days of inaction.

“The Queen Street Mall was a legacy project of the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane... that is why it is so important that we get this right.”— 2024-11-28View Hansard