Red tape removal state
On 6 January 2015, acting Governor and Queensland Chief Justice Carmody dissolved the 54th Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The early election was called by Premier Newman to avoid uncertainty and speculation over a potentially long
de facto election period claiming, ‘the state needs certainty, not months of endless politicking’. His government prided itself on what it calls ‘red tape reduction’ and to implement that agenda it passed 163 Bills, with another nine lapsing automatically due to the dissolution. Depending on the results of the 31 January poll these lapsed Bills may be reintroduced.
Interestingly of the nine lapsed Bills all but one — Exhibited Animals Bill 2014 — belonged to the three most senior members of the government, Deputy Premier Seeney, Treasurer Nicholls, and Attorney-General Bleijie. Begging the question of why the election was called early with significant Bills yet to be passed?