Cripps tipped to seek LNP Senate spot as regional jobs consultation continues

Cripps, a former minister in the Newman government, was appointed to the reportedly $392,000-a-year role by Premier David Crisafulli's administration. At estimates hearings in July his work plan was still being finalised; the Department of Premier and Cabinet has now confirmed it was approved by the Public Sector Governance Council chaired by director-general Damien Walker, without publishing detail.

Since then Cripps has written to each of the state's directors-general and commissioners, part of what is described as an initial consultation phase seeking feedback on barriers and opportunities around moving bureaucrats to the regions. The column said that, given the current squeeze on departmental budgets, any systemic and costly program to shift bureaucrats from Brisbane would likely be off the cards.

Sources granted anonymity to discuss internal LNP rumblings said Cripps is expected to raise his hand for the party's second Senate spot at an election due by early 2028. The column said he held strong internal party support, while sources said he had become somewhat of a lightning rod in state politics since landing the commissioner's role. Some sources said a tilt would ruffle feathers among state colleagues. The other likely challenger is Toowoomba mayoral adviser Michael Duff, currently fourth on the ticket and backed by Canavan as a factional heavyweight. How prized the pick remains will depend on the scale of support bleeding to One Nation, the column reported.

Assisted dying review

Separately, the Voluntary Assisted Dying Review board has used its 2025-26 annual report to recommend the responsible minister ensure the scheme's review involves broad consultation with the public and other stakeholders to determine the desirability and feasibility of amending existing eligibility criteria. Currently adults must be diagnosed with an advanced condition that would cause death within 12 months, be assessed by two doctors, and make three separate requests, all in person under federal laws.

The scheme is now almost four years old. The LNP, which came to power promising no changes, is required by the laws to review it as soon as practicable after its three-year milestone, and has so far offered only assurances the review will happen and no change will come of it. The anti-assisted-dying group Right to Life has urged an urgent inquiry into the scheme, citing the increased number of deaths (1082) and that this placed Queensland at the higher end of Australian jurisdictions.

Electoral warning

Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen has also warned, in a written submission, that the government's proposed industrial relations overhaul would stretch his commission beyond capacity. He said he had no prior heads-up about the broadened union election program, which would introduce so far vaguely described electronically assisted voting and require the commission to set up online voting it does not currently run.

The not insubstantial changes would render "ECQ's current staffing for industrial elections inadequate": the commission now oversees elections for fewer than 20 employer and employee organisations with a full-time equivalent team of two people, a load that could balloon to 74 groups, some with up to 50,000 members. This comes as the team enters a critical preparation stage for the 2028 statewide elections and must carry out 11 council divisional boundary reviews before October.

“Given those constraints, ECQ cannot presently administer the amendments as proposed, without additional time, funding and staff,” Vidgen wrote, urging the relevant changes be delayed until he had enough resources, or until at least October 2029 for any online system. He said upfront funding would be required to expand capacity.