Qld: Parliament starts for new Qld govt

AAP General News (Australia)
04-20-2009
Qld: Parliament starts for new Qld govt

By Jessica Marszalek

BRISBANE, April 20 AAP - The new Queensland government will wrestle with the issue
of four-year fixed parliamentary terms as it sits for the first time since the March election.

The new government will be sworn in in a ceremonial sitting at Parliament House on
Tuesday before getting down to business on Wednesday.

The government will introduce 16 pieces of legislation this week, including new tree
clearing laws, but Ms Bligh has also put the issue of fixed four-year parliamentary terms
on the agenda.

She told reporters on Monday she would seek bipartisan support from Opposition Leader
John-Paul Langbroek.

Mr Langbroek's predecessor Lawrence Springborg, now deputy leader, backed four-year
terms but only on the condition that the government introduce a raft of accountability
measures.

"Over the last six months, we've seen all the speculation about elections, a fixed
term is something I think Queenslanders would welcome," Ms Bligh said.

"I hope that John-Paul Langbroek's indications today that he has an open mind are real."

She said she hoped to bring Queensland into line with other states, introducing legislation
ahead of the next election to take effect in the following term.

Mr Langbroek said he was open to discussions but did not believe four-year fixed terms
were an important issue for voters.

"I don't think the people of Queensland are as concerned about it as some politicians
are," he told reporters.

"I think they're more concerned about their mortgages and their jobs."

He said the opposition had its own objectives for the parliamentary sitting.

"We're looking forward to holding the government to account for the things that they
promised during the recent election campaign," he said.

"And, obviously, also we'll be out there talking to the people of Queensland and coming
up with policies that makes us more relevant to them."

He said the LNP would announce on Tuesday whether they would put forward their own
candidate for Speaker, to challenge Labor's nominee, former transport minister John Mickel.

Ms Bligh said she would also undertake the most significant restructure of the state
parliament's committee system in decades, creating four new "super committees", merging
two others and abolishing the existing Travelsafe Committee on road safety.

The total number of parliamentary committees will increase from eight to nine.

The premier said that the Parliament of Queensland Amendment Bill 2009 would be introduced
this week to give effect to the new structures.

AAP stg/cdh

KEYWORD: PARLY QLD WRAP

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