Issue 218, 18 February 2009

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Issue of the week:

The starting gun might not yet have fired on the Queensland election, but regular jogger Anna Bligh is clearly warming up her team at the starting line. Parker & Partners’ Trends 2009 recently said the election would be held late summer or early autumn, and the latest developments have only served to reinforce that prediction.

The last few days saw three more spots open up in state seats held safely by Labor in Queensland, bringing the number of looming retirements to eight. As another strong indicator the poll is just weeks away, ALP head office will select candidates for these seats over the heads of the rank and file. The retirements also give Bligh a real opportunity to put her own stamp on the caucus, in fact her long time adviser and former Chief of Staff Murray Watt will likely enter Parliament as the Member for Everton.

Aiming to become the first female Premier to actually win an election (there’s been a couple of Chief Ministers who have), there’s no doubt this election will be all about Anna. The Liberal-National Party’s marriage of convenience last year has failed to make up enough ground yet, with Springborg and the LNP still trailing 57-43 in last December’s Newspoll.

What’s to come:

Health is likely to be the major issue in the Queensland Election, a State grappling with the name ’Jayant Patel’ and a hospital system in constant crises. With this in mind, the release of the National Health and Hospitals Reform Commission’s interim report on Monday, labelled ‘provocative’, ‘ambitious’ and ‘radical’, has bought a federal takeover of the healthcare system back to the front pages.

Any changes to the health system will be expensive and politically difficult for the Government. The states voiced concerns about some of the suggestions and even the Federal Health Minister seems cool on it. With the final report due midyear, the Government finds itself in a difficult place to make the changes that people are crying out for as some states line up for re-election and the Budget bucket runs dry. The Queensland election will see the first real test of how the electorate is responding to Rudd’s ‘new federalism’ in health.

ICU:

If Anna Bligh decides to go to the polls early, it will be with the future of one of Queensland’s most ambitious Public Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the balance. BrisConnections was awarded the contract from the Queensland Government to design, construct, operate, maintain and finance the Brisbane Airport Link for a period of 45 years, as well as the design and construction of the Northern Busway and Airport Roundabout Upgrade Projects.

With the project just underway, a key shareholder is already moving to wind up the company. An intervention by the Government will be costly, with potential multi-billion dollar damages claims. With the share price falling since issue at $1 to 0.1 cents, no action could result in the thousands of mum and dad investors who bought BrisConnections shares facing financial ruin as the next $1 instalment falls due in April.

Personality of the week:

The debate on the economy is turning into a veritable State of Origin between Labor’s maroon men Rudd and Swan v Liberal blue ribbon duo Turnbull and Hockey.

Elected to Parliament in 1996, following a career as a Banking and Finance Lawyer, the Member for North Sydney held the portfolios of Financial Services and Regulation, Small Business and Tourism, and Human Services in the Howard Government. In 2007, he received the unenviable task of selling WorkChoices.

More recently linked to a move to lead the NSW Liberals, Hockey became a household name that most politicians would only dream of, regularly teaming up with Kevin Rudd on Channel Seven’s Sunrise for five years and elevating the popularity of them both.

Hockey’s first task will be to replace style with substance, replacing the ‘good communicator’ tag with some serious hits on the Government. He is a firm believer in free markets and opposes government intervention in the private sector unless as a last resort. His success will be closely linked to how well the Opposition is seen as good economic managers, a once strong spot that has taken a battering of late.

Digital influence:

There has been a lot of chatter in the media the last two days regarding Queensland Premier Anna Bligh’s new website. The commentary and analysis has revolved around who crafted the website and where they are based. Springborg’s site is also up and attracting it’s own share of critique.

US President Obama’s digital strategy (as designed by famed US digital media gurus bluestatedigital) was comprehensive and that ultimately led to Obama’s sweeping digital success translating into huge fundraising dollars, not to mention votes.

Social and digital media encompasses a broad, broad range of products, services and technologies (For example - weblogs, wikis, podcasts, pictures and video picture-sharing, vlogs, MySpace, Facebook, Youmeo, YouTube, Second Life, Flickr, Twitter, etc). In 2009, a website alone will not cut it on the social media front.

Political quotes of the week:

”They've put forward a fairly radical proposal - obviously the way of delivering the services and an extra levy attached to it.”

- Nicola Roxon, at a doorstop interview, speaking about the National Health and Hospital Reform Commission report, 17 February 2009.

Media quote of the week:

"In Iceland the economic crisis has destroyed a government and in Germany it has claimed an economics minister, but in Australia the only political victim is the Opposition."

- Peter Hartcher, Sydney Morning Herald, 17 Feb 2009.

ICU quote of the week:

“We're really just treading water”

- Dr Chris Davis, President of the Australian Medical Association of Queensland with an unfortunate pun on the condition of Queensland’s health system, ABC Online, 17 February 2009.