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Questions Without Notice Questions without notice are asked of Ministers and answered during Question Time.
Mr LAWLOR:
Question:
My question without notice is also to the Premier. On Saturday local government elections will be held throughout the state. Can the Premier please advise what effect the local government reform process will have on the local government landscape in our state?
Answer:
Ms BLIGH:
I thank the member for the question. This has been, as everybody in this House knows, a very controversial reform. There are many people who have very strong views about it-both positive and negative. By and large, it seems to me that things are becoming quite exciting at the local level. People are getting very interested in the local government elections and they are interested in how new regional councils will operate. While some people initially criticised the reform, frankly, the majority have just simply got on with job and are now transitioning to new councils. As a result we will have 72 unified regional councils bring together the best of each of their communities. The process over the last 12 months, in my view, has been a blueprint for successful, cooperative amalgamation, even where the parties were initially reluctant. It is a blueprint that the Leader of the Opposition could take a very good look at. He could maybe take a leaf out of the book government in this case. When he became the new recycled leader of the National Party and the
opposition a couple of months ago he made a lot of promises about amalgamation. One was that he would provide news on the merger of the new party within 28 days of becoming leader. Some 50 days
have passed since the 28-day deadline and all we have heard is criticism from the Liberal Party about proposition. We have heard Senator Trood call the idea self-serving. Senator Suzanne Boyce
described the proposal as bizarre.
Mr COPELAND: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. Could I ask you to rule on standing order a) regarding debating a question. The Premier is debating a completing separate question to the she was asked.
Ms BLIGH: Mr Speaker, I am raising the issue of amalgamation in context.
Mr SPEAKER: As set by the precedent of Speaker Turner, there is no point of order. I call the Premier.
Ms BLIGH: Senator George Brandis dismissed the merger as being more about Mr Springborg's return to the leadership than a serious strategy. On Saturday we will see-
Mr COPELAND: Mr Speaker, I raise a point of order. My understanding is that the ruling Speaker Turner related to relevance. My point of order relates to debating the question, standing order a).
Mr SPEAKER: I cannot agree with the member. There is no point of order. I call the Premier.
Ms BLIGH: Those opposite do not want to hear about it. Their so-called merger is going backwards very quickly. After Saturday's election for local government councils, Sunday will be the beginning of the real leadership test of the member for Southern Downs. If we are not sitting here in the sitting of parliament-in more than 28 days time-facing a single, united party then he will have
failed his own test of leadership. Watch on Sunday. The bloodbath begins on Sunday. The death of the conservative party will start on Sunday. I predict we will see it all next week. Last changed: [PUBLISHED_DATE] at 10:22 AM
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