Schwarten's Swansong
Former Queensland Government minister, Mr Robert Schwarten says prevention is better than cure, in his The Courier-Mail opinion piece: “Parking politics is the way forward for youth crime”.
Mr Schwarten appears however to not understand the meaning of the saying. ?He would otherwise not be suggesting that a bipartisan parliamentary committee be set up for the purpose of finding a solution to the problem, and that the Committee travel interstate and overseas.?That is just the standard political response - an excuse for a junket -?it just means: more of the same.?
The saying means that it is prudent of government to obtain expert professional advice
This is why responsible governments
The Queensland government obviously does not work this way.
My experience has been that the Queensland government has followed the lead of other Australian governments in employing people as chief executives who have no respect for the law.?They are empowering and enriching their dodgy mates at the expense of the people they were empowered to serve: the sick, the homeless, the young, the old, the poor, the victims of crime, the unemployed, the disadvantaged, the oppressed, the future generations, the professionals, the good etc.
I have memory of discussing these issues with Mr Schwarten and others during a flying visit to the Lower Balonne region decades ago.?All went well until Tom Barton and others met with a dodgy cop and his mates from Cubbie station at Dirranbandi airport. ?
Tom Barton was a Minister in the Goss & Beattie Labor Governments, including the Minister for Police during the first of Peter Beattie 's governments.? Cubbie station was a local cattle station that ultimately became the largest irrigation farm in the southern hemisphere, if not the world. ?The Queensland Treasurer in the Goss labor government, the late Mr Keith De Lacy was the chairman of the Cubbie Group, and many others.? SunWater’s previous chair, Ms Leith Boully , and some dodgy bureaucrats, were instrumental in the development of Cubbie station, and the devastation of thousands of properties elsewhere.? Ms Boully has also been on many other Boards, including Seqwater’s and the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s.
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It is quite clear that Mr Schwarten did not learn much about leadership and statesmanship
This is what happens when governments employ chief executives who tell Ministers what they want to hear.?Ministers don't learn about leadership, statesmanship and governance.
It is unreasonable to expect other than a circus, when government employs clowns as chief executives. Likewise, when they fill those positions with people who tell Ministers what they want to hear in their own best interest.
Well said Ken, I have sat in meetings with Rob Schwarten where his uncontrolled temper has been to yell and brutally those in earshot. He was a bully and a numbers man for government but lacked any real leadership skill, as did his Director agenerals who reported to him. How otherwise would the QLd health software debacle , which he oversaw, end up such a costly and miserable failure. I have similarly watched many a CEO, who kowtow to him, not out of respect but fear. That is symptomatic of the way in which this government has behaved for years and it is as telling about the lack of courage of Corporate Queensland as it is about bad management within the government. Unfortunately, I don’t believe much will change in this State in years to come.