Mastodawn

Also in this week’s edition
- Red Union boss subbed in for CFMEU official on workplace safety board
- The long-delayed Police Integrity Unit’s working group which… hasn’t met since 2024
- A literary award-stripping workplace shakeup at the State Library + more
Read on here https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/a-ministerial-direction-a-court-warning-and-a-cloud-over-native-title-20260310-p5o90j.html

A ministerial direction, a court warning, and a cloud over native title

This week in our Queensland public sector column, Public Circus: native title questions swirl, (Red) Union boss’ board gig, slow progress on police integrity, and more.

Brisbane Times

Matt Dennien 1d ago

In this week’s Public Circus, Dale Last quietly lobbed a direction to his dept in late Feb to contest native title applications – a major shift in longstanding, legally set, approach

The rippling uncertainty has even led the Fed Court to start asking Qs. Lucky, bc Last & his dept won’t answer ours

Matt Dennien 5d ago

New: Queensland police signed off on a controversial multimillion-dollar lease deal for a site in Brisbane’s south without proper approvals and then failed to initially disclose it to the state's audit office. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/police-signed-stones-corner-lease-without-approval-then-didn-t-tell-auditors-20260313-p5oa84.html

Police signed Stones Corner lease without approval – then didn’t tell auditors

A Queensland Audit Office report sheds light on the controversial 15-year, $116 million station deal.

Brisbane Times

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Matt Dennien 6d ago

Election map redraw could hand LNP up to three seats, analysis suggests

Boundary shifts appear likely to see the seat of Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon turn blue, as the major parties trade barbs over the work.

Brisbane Times

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Matt Dennien 6d ago

After Labor, citing whistleblowers, raised claims in a Feb parli hearing the govt had “informally” seen early details of the draft redraw (which we’ve been unable to verify), the Premier’s office has for weeks refused to even respond w/out Fentiman substantiating. Yesterday it said only this

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Matt Dennien 6d ago

With Hill (KAP) and Stretton (Labor) abolished, in net terms this would leave the LNP up by 2 or 3, Labor down 1 or 2 and KAP down one. Raue says a 2.9 per cent two-party-preferred uniform swing would now be needed to deprive LNP of their majority (up 1 percentage point).

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Matt Dennien 6d ago

Caboolture (new) and Gaven land notionally LNP on both Ben Raue and William Bowe’s numbers. The latter’s also has Macalister/Beenleigh falling, just, out of Labor hands. Springfield (new) is notionally Labor.

Matt Dennien 6d ago

Despite suggestions from the LNP, independent analysis of Queensland’s draft state electoral map overhaul suggests the party could emerge with up to three extra seats notionally in its column.

Meanwhile, Labor starts throwing around the “rigged” word to describe the process & upcoming election 🧵

Matt Dennien 6d ago

Two people have been arrested at a protest outside Parliament House just hours after Queensland’s new hate speech laws came into effect, Catherine Strohfeldt and William Davis report. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/two-protesters-the-first-to-be-arrested-over-banned-phrases-20260311-p5o9me.html

Two protesters the first to be arrested over banned phrases

A man will face court next month, accused of uttering a banned phrase, while a woman allegedly wearing a T-shirt with the same phrase escaped charges.

Brisbane Times

Matt Dennien 6d ago

Queensland workplace safety inspectors were given unlawful directions to write stop-work notices in response to CFMEU complaints that appeared to target companies that were out of favour with the union, the state's inquiry into the union and construction sector has heard. https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/safety-inspectors-forced-to-write-stop-work-notices-for-targeted-cfmeu-sites-20260311-p5o9ir.html

Safety inspectors ‘forced’ to write stop-work notices for targeted CFMEU sites

The inspectors were allegedly used to disrupt construction sites until CFMEU-preferred subcontractors were hired, the building sector inquiry has heard.

Brisbane Times