Latest news with #DavidCrisafulli
The Australian
a day ago
- Business
- The Australian
David Crisafulli orders Verian, The Lab Insight and Strategy, Fifty-Five Five polling
You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback. You can now listen to The Australian's articles. David Crisafulli's department has quietly commissioned more than $650,000 in taxpayer-funded polling and market research in just five months, after he criticised former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk for doing the same thing. Government spending disclosures show Mr Crisafulli's Department of Premier and Cabinet ordered four tranches of 'market research' and 'concept testing' from polling and research companies The Lab Insight and Strategy, Verian Group, and Fifty-Five Five between December and April, at a total cost of $651,107. The Australian revealed ahead of the 2020 state election that Labor premier Ms Palaszczuk's department had spent $528,000 for Ipsos to do Covid-19 polling and market research. She refused to release the data. But in February last year, her successor, Labor premier Steven Miles, eventually published thousands of pages of research dating back to 2020. The Labor government ended up spending more than $1m surveying Queenslanders on issues such as youth crime, the Brisbane 2032 Olympics, the Indigenous voice to parliament and pandemic border closures. As opposition leader, Mr Crisafulli was highly critical of Ms Palaszczuk's decision to order the research and not release it. In parliament in November 2023, he accused the premier and her government of having the 'wrong priorities' and focusing on spending 'hundreds of thousands of dollars to try to secure its political future'. 'The premier always says that the only poll that matters is the one on election day. Why, then, would she spend hundreds of thousands of Queensland taxpayers' dollars to save her job today?' Mr Crisafulli said. 'Why do we have a government so focused on its own survival rather than on what Queenslanders are experiencing in their lives? 'Queenslanders are living with a health crisis, a youth crime crisis, a cost-of-living crisis and a housing crisis. This government's focus is on how it can get secret polling to try to save itself from facing its date with destiny.' During the Covid pandemic, then Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk commissioned taxpayer-funded polling and market research but refused to release it. Picture: Dan Peled When Steven Miles succeeded Ms Palaszczuk as premier, he published the taxpayer-funded polling. Picture: Lyndon Mechielsen At the same time, Mr Crisafulli's LNP opposition moved a motion in parliament in an unsuccessful attempt to force Ms Palaszczuk to release the Ipsos polling. Then opposition integrity in government spokeswoman Fiona Simpson – now Mr Crisafulli's Minister for Women – said there was 'simply no justification for this secret polling to continue to be locked away from public view'. On Thursday, The Australian asked Mr Crisafulli's office to release the research, to commit to releasing any in-progress research once complete, and to detail the terms of reference for each contract, but was rebuffed. A government spokesman said 'concept development of policy campaigns and the development of their corresponding communication campaigns is a longstanding practice employed across the Queensland government, and is a vital step to ensure critical communications resonate with Queenslanders and is effective'. 'An example of this work undertaken by the Queensland government is the anti-bullying campaign, which engaged directly with parents, teachers and students to ensure anti-bullying messaging was as effective as possible in driving down bullying in schools,' he said. The spokesman did not answer questions about what methodology – such as focus groups – the market research companies were using, and declined to give a full list of what topics or policies were being canvassed with voters. In parliament in September 2021, opposition MP Laura Gerber – now Mr Crisafulli's Youth Justice Minister – called for the Palaszczuk government to release the pandemic-related polling and be 'open and accountable'. 'This is public money,' Ms Gerber said. 'At the very least, Queenslanders deserve to see what they got for their half a million dollars. Taxpayers deserve to see the results of the secret polling they paid for.' Sarah Elks Senior Reporter Sarah Elks is a senior reporter for The Australian in its Brisbane bureau, focusing on investigations into politics, business and industry. Sarah has worked for the paper for 15 years, primarily in Brisbane, but also in Sydney, and in Cairns as north Queensland correspondent. She has covered election campaigns, high-profile murder trials, and natural disasters, and was named Queensland Journalist of the Year in 2016 for a series of exclusive stories exposing the failure of Clive Palmer's Queensland Nickel business. Sarah has been nominated for four Walkley awards. @sarahelks Sarah Elks
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
Trade and investment a key focus of Future Townsville event
Townsville's potential as an industrial powerhouse has been explored at a key event in the city. News Corp's Future Townsville focused on trade and investment in sectors that underpin the region's economy. City, industry and government leaders convened at the event, which included an address from Queensland Premier David Crisafulli.
Sky News AU
3 days ago
- Business
- Sky News AU
David Crisafulli speaks on the state's challenges at Future Townsville 2025
More than 200 people attended the Future Townsville 2025 event, which included an address from Queensland Premier David Crisafulli. City, industry and government leaders have convened at Future Townsville 2025 to explore the region's outlook in Queensland. The Queensland premier spoke on the challenges facing the region as well as the state as a whole.
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- General
- Daily Mail
Aussie tip worker's rare find after spotting mysterious box in piles of rubbish - and it's very valuable
An 'eagle-eyed' dump worker who found a hidden treasure buried among the piles of garbage he was moving has been praised for returning the find to its rightful owner. Queensland Premier David Crisafulli shared a photo of heavy machinery operator Tim and the collection of four war medals he found at Gatton landfill, in the state's southeast, last week. 'This story was too good not to share,' the premier wrote online. 'We're pleased to report council has already returned the medals to their rightful owner, Crisafulli continued. 'You're a legend, Tim!' Tim, who was only referred to by his first name, found the medals when he noticed an odd-looking box as he was working on shifting rubbish. His curiosity peaked and he opened it, discovering the medals, which have since been identified as the Australian Service Medal, Defence Force Service Medal, Gulf War Medal and Australian Defence Medal. Collectors will often pay upwards of $100 for each war medal. Dozens of commenters were glad to hear the medals were returned to the owner's family. 'Thank goodness someone saw them and now going to get back to the family,' one wrote. 'How lucky that Tim spotted those! Fantastic to hear they are back to their owner,' another said. Others shared unconfirmed theories on how the medals ended up at the dump. 'I suspect the dear man put them away safely and has passed away. The family then went in to clean up and had no idea they were in the box,' one person wrote. Several other commenters had a helpful tip for others, should they find medals. They suggested they contact their local RSL or the Australian War Memorial, with both organisations able to take care of abandoned medals and track their owners.
The Age
4 days ago
- Business
- The Age
Crisafulli flags budget infrastructure spend ‘like never before'
Queensland Premier David Crisafulli says he is 'sublimely confident' he can reach an Olympic funding deal with the federal government, as he flagged a record infrastructure spend in next week's state budget. Speaking at a Property Council lunch on Tuesday, Crisafulli said the generational infrastructure demands of the Brisbane 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games gave the state a 'not negotiable' deadline, which would be reflected in next Tuesday's budget. 'When I say record infrastructure spend, I mean like never before in our history,' he said. 'The four-year forwards will be something that shows you how serious we are about the future of this state. 'It will be about respect for your money, but it won't be about austerity. We've got to get this state moving, and that means spending a record amount, but making sure that it drives value, that we get more for what we are doing.' Central to Queensland's bottom line was the $7.1 billion Games infrastructure funding agreement with the Commonwealth. The Albanese government had agreed to fund the arena – then planned for Roma Street – under an intergovernmental deal with the then-Palaszczuk government. But the Crisafulli government's Olympic delivery plan, stemming from its 100-day Games infrastructure review, will instead task the private sector with delivering the arena in its new Woolloongabba location, meaning that agreement needs to be renegotiated. Crisafulli said he was 'sublimely confident' a deal would soon be reached.
