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.
Palaszczuk confronted in India over Adani coal mine
Posted
The Queensland Premier is confronted by an Australian businessman and a tour operator after arriving in India to inspect Adani's home port.
Topics: coal, industry, business-economics-and-finance, government-and-politics, states-and-territories, india, qld, australia
Uber outrage boils over in LNP tour of Queensland
Posted | Updated
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls labels his regional Queensland tour a success despite some fiery confrontations at public forums in Townsville and Cairns over ride sharing group Uber.
Topics: government-and-politics, cairns-4870
CCC retrieves 30k emails from Minister's deleted account
Posted
Queensland's Crime and Corruption Commission retrieves emails from the personal account of Energy Minister Mark Bailey, who deleted the Yahoo address after claims he was using it to talk to union officials.
Topics: parliament, government-and-politics, state-parliament, federal---state-issues, unions, brisbane-4000, qld
Queensland leaders reject former cricketers' call to ditch Adani coal mine
Posted | Updated
Both sides of state politics join the Queensland Resources Council to dismiss the Chappell brothers' objections to Adani's planned Carmichael coal mine.
Topics: business-economics-and-finance, activism-and-lobbying, industry, coal, government-and-politics, public-sector, mining-rural, mining-environmental-issues, mining-industry, australia, brisbane-4000, qld, mackay-4740, rockhampton-4700
Left is 'kicking our butts': Campbell Newman urges conservatives to step up
Posted
The Barnett Government's loss in the Western Australian election shows conservative politics cannot match the campaigning commitment of the left, former Queensland premier Campbell Newman says.
Topics: government-and-politics, parliament, elections, brisbane-4000, qld, perth-6000, wa
Queensland leaders already seeking spotlight ahead of next poll
Posted
An election date is yet to be set but you could be forgiven for thinking Queensland was preparing to go to the polls if the antics of the leaders is anything to go by, writes Chris O'Brien.
Topics: state-parliament, liberal-national-party-queensland, alp, elections, brisbane-4000, qld
What does One Nation's election flop in WA mean for Queensland? Analysis
Posted
One Nation garnered less support than expected in the weekend West Australian election, so questions are now being asked what Queensland's political leaders should learn from the result, writes Chris O'Brien.
Topics: state-parliament, parliament, government-and-politics, elections, political-parties, brisbane-4000, qld, perth-6000, wa
Newman adds more volatility to next state election Analysis
Posted | Updated
Campbell Newman lobbing grenades from the twitterverse may discombobulate the LNP's state election build up, but how voters will ultimately react is anyone's guess, write Chris O'Brien.
Topics: government-and-politics, parliament, state-parliament, states-and-territories, qld
Pauline Hanson contradicts herself on GST share for WA, Queensland
Posted | Updated
The Queensland Government calls on Senator Pauline Hanson to clarify whether she believes her home state should give up some of its GST revenue to WA after she appears to make contradictory statements.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, one-nation, pauline-hanson, person, federal---state-issues, qld, australia, wa, perth-6000, brisbane-4000
Campbell Newman accuses Tim Nicholls of avoiding responsibility
Posted | Updated
Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls plays down his former boss's social media response to a keynote speech, after Campbell Newman accused him of avoiding responsibility for public service cuts and privatisation plans.
Topics: state-parliament, parliament, government-and-politics, brisbane-4000, qld
Queensland Energy Minister vows to restart private email account amid probe into usage
Posted
Energy Minister Mark Bailey says he will reactivate a private email account he controversially closed after revelations it was used for official business, and while the Opposition has referred him to the corruption watchdog, he says LNP MPs are doing the same.
Topics: state-parliament, computers-and-technology, internet-culture, brisbane-4000
Sugar dispute prompts sour words in Queensland Parliament as LNP forces debate
Posted
Queensland Parliament will urgently debate an Opposition bill aimed at forcing a long-running sugar industry dispute into arbitration, even though the Government has installed a mediator between the two bodies at the centre of the row.
Topics: state-parliament, sugar, judges-and-legal-profession, brisbane-4000, bundaberg-4670, cairns-4870, mackay-4740, rockhampton-4700, townsville-4810, qld
Queensland Government drops appeal against Palm Island riots racism ruling
Posted | Updated
The Queensland Government scraps its appeal against a Federal Court ruling that police were racist in their response to riots sparked by the death in custody of Cameron Doomadgee on Palm Island in 2004.
Topics: state-parliament, parliament, courts-and-trials, law-crime-and-justice, public-sector, indigenous-aboriginal-and-torres-strait-islander, brisbane-4000, qld, australia, palm-island-4815, townsville-4810
Queensland abortion decriminalisation bills withdrawn
Posted | Updated
A debate to decriminalise abortion in Queensland is cancelled and the issue postponed until at least the next term of Parliament, after LNP MPs indicated they would not support the proposal.
Topics: abortion, laws, state-parliament, minor-parties, brisbane-4000
'I was gutted': Miles confirms boundary reshuffle forcing move to Murrumba
Posted
Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles admits he is "gutted" to lose his seat of Mt Coot-tha in a redistribution that merges it with Indooroopilly and confirms he will instead contest a different seat north of Brisbane.
Topics: elections, state-parliament, alp, brisbane-4000
Boundary changes prompt Queensland minister to change seats
Posted | Updated
Labor's Environment Minister Steven Miles plans to relocate to the electorate of Murrumba to contest the next election because of boundary changes that will see his current seat of Mt Coot-tha merge with the LNP-held seat of Indooroopilly.
Topics: elections, alp, liberal-national-party-queensland, state-parliament, brisbane-4000
'Major' electoral boundary changes shock Queensland MPs
Posted | Updated
Queensland's politicians, including Environment Minister Steven Miles and Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson, are scrambling to come to terms with proposed electorate boundary changes, only months from an expected election.
Topics: political-parties, government-and-politics, liberal-national-party-queensland, alp, federal-elections, minor-parties, electoral-system, elections, qld, brisbane-4000
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
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