Chris O'Brien
Chris O'Brien is a senior state political reporter for the ABC based in Brisbane. He has worked in radio and television news since 1987 and contributes regularly for ABC online. Chris also comperes political and business events including state election debates. He tweets at @COBrienBris.
Political donations in Queensland must now be declared within a week
Posted | Updated
Voters will now be able to see how much has been donated to political parties and candidates within a week of money changing hands, in a move the Queensland Government says should be adopted nationally.
Topics: political-parties, elections, government-and-politics, liberal-national-party-queensland, one-nation, minor-parties, state-parliament, parliament, alp, activism-and-lobbying, brisbane-4000, qld
Explained: How Tiahleigh's death is changing the child protection system
Posted | Updated
Tiahleigh Palmer was one of 46 Queensland children in the child protection system who died in 2015-16, in a case the Government has described as "tragic". Take a look at what could be changing as authorities hope to prevent similar incidents.
Topics: family-and-children, community-and-society, law-crime-and-justice, crime, crime-prevention, government-and-politics, state-parliament, parliament, qld, brisbane-4000
Tiahleigh Palmer's death prompts improvements to child safety system
Posted | Updated
The Queensland Government will spend $6 million to improve communication between agencies when a child goes missing, as part of recommendations following the death Logan schoolgirl Tiahleigh Palmer.
Topics: family-and-children, community-and-society, law-crime-and-justice, crime, crime-prevention, government-and-politics, state-parliament, parliament, qld, brisbane-4000
Pauline Hanson will run 'strong campaign' in Nicklin: departing MP
Posted | Updated
The Sunshine Coast electorate of Nicklin could be anyone's for the taking at the next state election, according to departing independent MP Peter Wellington, who says his voters will respond best to candidates on personal level.
Topics: state-parliament, parliament, nambour-4560, qld, brisbane-4000, maroochydore-4558
'Nonsense' Qld trading hours laws set for revamp, butchers, hardware suppliers to benefit
Posted | Updated
Queenslanders will be able to buy bulk meat on Sundays and hardware supplies from 6am Sundays under streamlined new trading hours laws which are to be considered by Cabinet in coming weeks.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, trade, food-and-beverage, government-and-politics, qld
Mark Furner to replace Stirling Hinchliffe in Queensland Cabinet
Posted | Updated
Member for Ferny Grove Mark Furner will be elevated to State Cabinet to fill the vacancy left by the resignation of former transport minister Stirling Hinchliffe.
Topics: state-parliament, rail-transport, states-and-territories, government-and-politics, qld
'Overly restrictive' work rules to change in QR overhaul: Trad
Posted | Updated
Workplace rules and overtime for staff will be amended as part of the overhaul of Queensland Rail to improve train services for passengers, Acting Transport Minister Jackie Trad says.
Topics: rail-transport, public-sector, state-parliament, alp, unions, brisbane-4000, robina-4226
Transport Minister quits in response to rail inquiry
Posted | Updated
Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe resigns in response to a damning commission of inquiry into Queensland Rail that finds complacency and "unwieldy" management led to a driver shortage and timetable failures.
Topics: rail-transport, public-sector, state-parliament, brisbane-4000
Joyce insists graziers won't be forced to sell to ADF
Posted | Updated
Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce says there is no intention to force Queensland graziers to sell their land as part of Australian Defence Force training area expansions, however the Prime Minister does not rule it out.
Topics: rural, livestock, government-and-politics, activism-and-lobbying, federal---state-issues, defence-forces, shoalwater-4702, qld, rockhampton-4700
'It's not hookers': Queensland MP vows to repay hotel costs
Posted | Updated
LNP Member for Surfers Paradise John-Paul Langbroek will repay taxpayers for accommodation costs in his electorate, while also using his sister's radio program to reject suggestions he hired prostitutes.
Topics: state-parliament, prostitution, surfers-paradise-4217
QR report 'expected to recommend structural changes'
Posted | Updated
An upcoming report into recent Queensland Rail failures is expected to recommend an organisational shake-up, Transport Minister Stirling Hinchliffe says.
Topics: state-parliament, public-sector, redcliffe-4020, rockhampton-4700
The major events that defined Queensland politics in 2016 Analysis
Posted | Updated
The introduction of four-year terms, four more seats and full preferential voting were the biggest changes in Queensland politics this year, state political reporter Chris O'Brien writes.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, alp, liberal-national-party-queensland, one-nation, people, state-parliament, parliament, electoral-system, qld, brisbane-4000, australia
New Queensland electorates decided, but not revealed
Posted
Four new electorates for Queensland are decided but the proposed new boundaries will not be released until February, adding to the guesswork around the timing of the next election.
Topics: government-and-politics, political-parties, elections, alp, qld, australia
Queensland Government staffer who refused police breath test quits
Posted | Updated
Senior Palaszczuk Government staffer Stephen Gay, who had been intending to seek ALP preselection for the Brisbane seat of Mansfield, quits after failing to provide a breath specimen to police.
Topics: government-and-politics, state-parliament, parliament, alp, political-parties, brisbane-4000, qld
Top 10 ways to send yourself to hospital this Christmas
Posted
Festive season revellers be warned — Christmas can be harmful to your health and wellbeing, and there are multiple dangers lurking amid the gladness and the glitter.
Topics: emergency-incidents, disasters-and-accidents, community-and-society, qld
South-east Queenslanders 'not paying enough for water'
Posted | Updated
South-east Queensland water prices may be too low, a report suggests, with Seqwater struggling to pay its debt while consumers were frugal in their water use.
Topics: water, water-management, water-supply, lifestyle-and-leisure, gardening, electricity-energy-and-utilities, brisbane-4000, qld
Revenue windfall well timed for Queensland Labor as election year looms
Posted | Updated
The Queensland Government suddenly finds itself with money to spend as a tough election approaches, with a budget windfall of more than $1 billion.
Topics: budget, elections, state-parliament, coal, regional-development, brisbane-4000
Speaker finds insufficient evidence Billy Gordon misled Parliament
Posted | Updated
Queensland Independent MP Billy Gordon will not be referred to Parliament's Ethics Committee over claims he misled the House in relation to his tax and child support payments.
Topics: state-parliament, parliament, government-and-politics, states-and-territories, qld
Queensland Treasurer forecasts largest budget surplus in a decade
Posted | Updated
Treasurer Curtis Pitt hands down a better-than-expected budget forecast, with this financial year's forecasted surplus up by nearly $1.2 billion.
Topics: government-and-politics, budget, mining-industry, industry, business-economics-and-finance, state-parliament, qld
Queensland Government to spend $1b budget windfall on regional jobs
Posted
The Queensland Opposition dismisses the Government's plan to spend a $1 billion budget windfall on regional jobs, urging Treasurer Curtis Pitt to instead use the extra revenue to pay down debt.
Topics: budget, unemployment, regional-development, brisbane-4000, bundaberg-4670, cairns-4870, longreach-4730, mackay-4740, maroochydore-4558, mount-isa-4825, rockhampton-4700, toowoomba-4350, townsville-4810
Government funding deal a 'momentous' coup for Townsville
Posted | Updated
Australia's first "City Deal" has been bestowed on Townsville as all three levels of government agree to deliver an integrated package of initiatives to the city, including the highly anticipated Townsville Stadium.
Topics: state-parliament, states-and-territories, sport, local-government, government-and-politics, townsville-4810, qld
Qld Premier stands by police over Palm Island ruling
Posted | Updated
The Queensland Premier says she stands by the police service, despite not yet reading a Federal Court judgment that police were unlawfully discriminatory in responding to a 2004 death in custody on Palm Island.
Topics: law-crime-and-justice, state-parliament, courts-and-trials, discrimination, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, palm-island-4815
Personal or parliamentary? Potential fallout over latest Billy Gordon allegations
Posted | Updated
The latest chapter in the Billy Gordon saga can be read in two parts: personal and parliamentary.
Topics: government-and-politics, state-parliament, alp, political-parties, brisbane-4000, qld, cairns-4870
Townsville HQ for Adani's Carmichael coal mine
Posted | Updated
Townsville will be the regional headquarters of Adani's newly approved $22-billion Carmichael coal mine in Queensland's Galilee Basin.
Topics: mining-industry, mining-environmental-issues, coal, townsville-4810
Father of the LNP Lawrence Springborg bows out Analysis
Posted
It is a twist of political fate that Lawrence Springborg's personal success never matched what he achieved for his colleagues by merging the Liberal and National parties, writes Queensland political editor Chris O'Brien.
Topics: state-parliament, liberal-national-party-queensland, qld
Connect with ABC News
Got a news tip?
If you have inside knowledge of a topic in the news, contact the ABC.
