Making Government: The Crisafulli machinery of government
Peter Bridgman
BA(Hons) LLB (Hons), Barrister
Orderly change of government is a mark of a mature body politic and a competent public service.
With the election of the Crisafulli government (return of writs still pending at time of writing), we saw a very effective transition from the long-standing ALP governments under Steven Miles and before that Annastacia Palaszczuk.
This brief article explains the machinery of government (or MoG) changes following the election, and synthesises multiple primary sources for the reader’s convenience and to aid understanding.
What is machinery of government?
Governments legitimately want to organise to reflect their priorities, achieve their political priorities, maximise efficiency, and align people and resources to purpose.
The selection and appointment of Ministers is a first crucial step. This article will also explore the Cabinet (the collective meeting of the Ministers) and note changes from the previous arrangements of ministers and departments.
The heart of MoG is the arrangement of departments, the organisation structures of the public service. There are two key sets of documents that arrange departments under ministers:
- the Administrative Arrangements Order made under section 44 of the Constitution of Queensland 2001;
- the departmental arrangements notices under the Public Sector Act 2022 sections 197-200, declaring and changing departments and allocation functions of government to various agencies.
The current Administrative Arrangements Order is available at https://www.qld.gov.au/about/how-government-works/government-responsibilities.
The Public Service Departmental Arrangements Notice (No.9) 2024 is available at https://www.psc.qld.gov.au/_publications/A-summary-of-changes-to-departments-of-government-as-at-1-November-2024.pdf.
Both were published, along with the Governor’s appointment of the Ministry, in extraordinary Gazette No 57 on Friday 1 November 2024: see https://shorturl.at/8cc1w.
The Courier-Mail also published on 6 November 2024 a profile of some of the chief executives confirmed or put in place by Premier Crisafulli 1.
A further note will be prepared once these arrangements are settled outlining the role of chief executives and relevant details.
1 O’Malley, B. (2024) Meet Queensland’s new Directors-General after David Crisafulli reshuffle. Courier-Mail 6 November 2024.
Why it matters
These arrangements are not just administrivia. They have deep legal and social meaning as well as political and administrative purpose.
- For Ministers, they describe their responsibilities in terms of both functions and Acts administered, allocate resources and power, and position them in the body politic.
- For public employees, they allocate workplaces, define significant reporting relationships, and align jobs with government functions.
- For the public, they described government and provide pathways to seeking assistance or redress against government decisions, and offer language to discuss how they relate to government.
- For peak bodies, lobbyists and trade unions, they contextualise the content of government activity, allocate like activity together, and offer pathways to influence change.
- For lawyers, they state the source of authority for decision making, name the persons responsible for exercising governmental power, and provide avenues for complaint and redress.
The Ministry, Departments and Directors-General
Table 1 shows the Ministers, their portfolios (ministerial titles), departments they administer, and the current chief executive arrangements (correct as at 3 November 2024, errors and omissions excepted). The list is presented in order of formal seniority, a matter usually decided by the Premier and the same order in the appointment documents in the Gazette.
| Rank | Minister | Portfolio | Department(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | David Crisafulli | Premier and Veterans | Department of the Premier and Cabinet |
| Public Sector Commission | |||
| 2 | Jarrod Bleijie | Deputy Premier, Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning and Minister for Industrial Relations | Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning |
| 3 | David Janetski | Treasurer, Minister for Energy and Minister for Home Ownership | Queensland Treasury |
| 4 | Rosslyn Bates | Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training | Queensland Treasury |
| Department of Trade, Employment and Training | |||
| 5 | Dale Last | Minister for Natural Resources and Mines, Minister for Manufacturing and Minister for Regional and Rural Development | Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development |
| Resources Safety and Health Queensland | |||
| 6 | Timothy Nicholls | Minister for Health and Ambulance Services | Queensland Health |
| Queensland Ambulance Service | |||
| 7 | Deborah Frecklington | Attorney-General and Minister for Justice and Minister for Integrity | Department of Justice |
| Public Trust Office | |||
| 8 | John-Paul Langbroek | Minister for Education and the Arts | Department of Education |
| 9 | Daniel Purdie | Minister for Police and Emergency Services | Queensland Police Service |
| 10 | Laura Gerber | Minister for Youth Justice and Victim Support and Minister for Corrective Services | Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support |
| Queensland Corrective Services | |||
| 11 | Brent Mickelberg | Minister for Transport and Main Roads | Department of Transport and Main Roads |
| 12 | Ann Leahy | Minister for Local Government and Water and Minister for Fire, Disaster Recovery and Volunteers | Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers |
| Queensland Fire Department | |||
| Queensland Reconstruction Authority | |||
| 13 | Samuel O’Connor | Minister for Housing and Public Works and Minister for Youth | Department of Housing and Public Works |
| 14 | Anthony Perrett | Minister for Primary Industries | Department of Primary Industries |
| 15 | Fiona Simpson | Minister for Women and Women’s Economic Security, Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Minister for Multiculturalism | Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism |
| 16 | Andrew Powell | Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation | Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation |
| 17 | Amanda Camm | Minister for Families, Seniors and Disability Services and Minister for Child Safety and the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence | Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety |
| 18 | Timothy Mander | Minister for Sport and Racing and Minister for the Olympic and Paralympic Games | Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games; Department of Primary Industries for racing responsibilities |
| 19 | Steven Minnikin | Minister for Customer Services and Open Data and Minister for Small and Family Business | Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business |
Some points of interest about the Ministry announced on 1 November 2024:
- there are only two changes from the shadow Cabinet to the First Crisafulli Cabinet
- Christian Rowan out of Ministry and becomes Leader of the House
- Andrew Powell is promoted back to the front bench as Minister for the Environment and Tourism and Minister for Science and Innovation. Powell was elected Member for Glass House at the 2009 election and held various shadow ministries until demoted 2020 on Crisafulli’s elevation to leader.
- Three former leaders sit on the front bench: Langbroek, Nichols and Frecklington.
- Mander and Frecklington also served as deputy leader of the LNP; Simpson was deputy leader of the National Party (before merger to form the LNP).
- Simpson stood unsuccessfully for the LNP leader role in 2015 after defeat of the Newman Government.
The following Ministers have previous ministerial or assistant ministerial experience in the Newman Government:
- Nichols (Treasurer and Minister for Trade)
- Langbroek (Minister for Education, Training and Employment)
- Bleijie (Minister for Justice and Attorney General)
- Crisafulli (Minister for Local Government, Community Recovery and Resilience)
- Mander (Minister for Housing and Public Works; Assistant Minister for Sport and Racing)
- Powell (Minister for the Environment and Heritage Protection)
- Bates (Minister for Science, IT, Innovation and The Arts)
- Frecklington (Assistant Minister to the Premier; Assistant Minister for Finance, Administration and Regulatory Reform).
Of passing interest, Tony Perrett is son of former Borbidge Government minister for Primary Industries, the late Trevor Perrett.
The size of the ministry is a point of academic interest in Queensland. Modern cabinets have been as small as 14 strong. The constitutional maximum is 19 ministers (able to be changed by ordinary statutory amendment as Beattie did increasing it from 18 to accommodate his swollen numbers in 2001). On some reckoning, 19 is too many for both practical reasons (the difficulty constructing 19 meaningful portfolios) and human reasons (the person-fit skill of such a large proportion of elected members being the leadership group). It is generally thought 14 was too few, burdening ministers, especially those with very large departments.
The next section illustrates the challenge of building 19 portfolios. Premier Crisafulli seems to have avoided the problem of overly constructed portfolios, shaped to give a role rather than achieve a coherent purpose, though three portfolios seem underweight.
Assistant Ministers
Then assistant ministers were appointed shortly after the Ministry was appointed. They are shown in Table 2:
| Assistant Minister | Portfolio |
|---|---|
| Sean Dillon | Assistant Minister for Primary Industry Development, Water and Western Queensland |
| Bryson Head | Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Resources and Critical Minerals |
| Bree James | Assistant Minister for Tourism, Early Learning, Creative Industries and Far North Queensland |
| Donna Kirkland | Assistant Minister for Mental Health, Drug and Alcohol Treatment, Families and Seniors and Central Queensland |
| Janelle Poole | Assistant Minister for Community Safety, Defence Industry, Veterans and North Queensland |
| Christian Rowan | Assistant Minister to the Premier on Matters of State and New Citizens |
| Amanda Stoker | Assistant Minister for Finance, Trade, Employment and Training |
| Trevor Watts | Assistant Minister to the Premier for Cabinet and South West Queensland |
| Hermann Vorster | Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs and International Student Attraction |
| Rebecca Young | Assistant Minister to the Deputy Premier and Assistant Minister for Planning, Housing and Better Regulation |
A further note about the role of assistant ministers will be prepared shortly.
Departmental changes
The changes from the Miles machinery of government to the first Crisafulli government departments are shown in Table 3.
These departmental changes are relatively small in the context of a change of government after a long period under their political opponents, and reflect the stability that Crisafulli mentioned several times in the lead up to the election and during campaigning.
| Miles Government Departments | Crisafulli Government Departments | Notes and observations |
|---|---|---|
| Department of the Premier and Cabinet | Department of the Premier and Cabinet | Gains: Office for Veterans |
| Department of State Development and Infrastructure | Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning | Gains: Planning |
| Queensland Treasury | Queensland Treasury | Gains: Energy and Climate |
| Department of Employment, Small Business and Training | Department of Trade, Employment and Training | Loses: Office of the Night Life Economy Commissioner; small business |
| Department of Resources | Department of Natural Resources and Mines, Manufacturing and Regional and Rural Development | Gains: Regional Development, Manufacturing; train manufacturing |
| Queensland Health | Queensland Health | Loses: Women |
| Department of Justice and Attorney-General | Department of Justice | Gains: Queensland State ArchivesLoses: women’s safety and violence prevention;Victim Assist Queensland |
| Department of Education | Department of Education | Gains: Arts Queensland |
| Queensland Police Service | Queensland Police Service | No change |
| Department of Youth Justice | Department of Youth Justice and Victim Support | Gains: Victim Assist Queensland |
| Queensland Corrective Services | Queensland Corrective Services | No change |
| Department of Transport and Main Roads | Department of Transport and Main Roads | Loses Queensland Customer and Digital Group; train manufacturing |
| Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water 2 | Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers | Gains Local Government; volunteering; community recoveryLoses Regional Development; Manufacturing |
| Department of Housing and Public Works | Department of Housing and Public Works | Loses Planning to Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning |
| Department of Agriculture and Fisheries | Department of Primary Industries | Rename only |
| Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts | Department of Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism | Gains women; Office of First Nations Engagement and InnovationLoses: Office for Veterans; Queensland State Archives; Arts Queensland; Youth; volunteering; community services; community recovery |
| Department of Environment, Science and Innovation | Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation | Gains Tourism |
| Department of Child Safety, Seniors and Disability Services | Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety | Gains: women’s safety and violence prevention; community services |
| Department of Tourism and Sport | Department of Sport, Racing and Olympic and Paralympic Games | Gains: Office of Racing; Office for Olympic and Paralympic GamesLoses: Tourism |
| (no equivalent) | Department of Customer Services, Open Data and Small and Family Business | Gains: Queensland Customer and Digital Group; small business |
| Department of Energy and Climate | (Functions redistributed to Queensland Treasury) | Abolished |
2 This is from the official departmental change notice. Functions are drawn from the former departments of: Housing and Public Works; Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water; and Department of Treaty, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships, Communities and the Arts.
Chief executive changes
Premier Crisafulli announced interim arrangements for chief executives of government departments on 1 November 2024. See: https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/101587.
Of note:
- there are 22 offices in the list;
- 11 are continuing as chief executives;
- 10 are not continuing and presumably cease to be Queensland Government employees;
- there is no announcement as to one office (Queensland Fire Department) but its website shows the Commissioner continuing;
- the Premier’s announcement titles the head of Treasury as Director-General but the Administrative Arrangements order retains the title Under Treasurer.
After that announcement Damian Walker was announced as Director-General Department of Premier and Cabinet from 23 December 2024. Mr Walker is Chief Executive of the Department of Premier and Cabinet in South Australia. He previously held senior roles in the sector, including Director-General of the Queensland Department of State Development, Infrastructure, Local Government and Planning. See: https://statements.qld.gov.au/statements/101611.
A further note will be prepared in due course outlining the roles and responsibilities of chief executives.
Two direct appointments to chief executive roles were announced initially (that is, without a merit process): John Sosso (previously a director general in the Newman government) and David Rosengren (controversially removed from the Queensland Health chief operating officer role in August 2023 under Palaszczuk; previous experience as short-term acting Director-General).
Chiefs of Staff
While not a machinery of government issue, the relationship between Ministers and their departments is affected by the political staff in each Minister’s offices, under the chief of staff. The author has no independent information about the chiefs of staff but the Courier-Mail lists some appointments with background information 3. The list in the order published in that newspaper is in Table 4.
The relationship between a Minister and chief of staff can be complicated. Sometimes it is about trust and comfort; other times, complementarity of skills and interests (especially policy content); politics; or control or lines of accountability (reflective of trust between the Premier and the relevant Minister). The Premier’s chief of staff is often very powerful.
| Chief of Staff | Portfolio | Minister |
|---|---|---|
| Richard Ferrett | Premier | David Crisafulli |
| Nathan Ruhle | Deputy Premier | Jarrod Bleijie |
| Matt Tapsall | Treasurer and Energy | David Janetzki |
| Michael Negerevich | Finance, Trade and Investment | Ros Bates |
| Ally Foley | Resources | Dale Last |
| Belinda McEniery | Health | Tim Nicholls |
| Karly Abbott | Attorney-General | Deb Frecklington |
| Mitchell Potts | Education and Arts | John-Paul Langbroek |
| Bianca Stone | Police | Dan Purdie |
| David Fraser | Youth Justice | Laura Gerber |
| Tony Meredith | Transport | Brent Mickelberg |
| Angus McCaffrey | Interim Local Government | Ann Leahy |
| Matt Adams | Housing | Sam O’Connor |
| Matt Jensen | Primary Industries | Tony Perrett |
| Nicky Haydon | Women, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships and Multiculturalism | Fiona Simpson |
| Kate Samios | Environment and Tourism | Andrew Powell |
| Anna Hilton | Child Safety | Amanda Camm |
| Kristin McGill | Sport and Racing, Olympic and Paralympic Games | Tim Mander |
| Alissa Lang | Customer Service and Small Business | Steve Minnikin |
As with chief executive roles, chief of staff arrangement are likely to change both in the short term and over the term of the government.
3 McCormack, M. (2024). The key players pulling LNP’s strings behind the scenes. Courier-Mail, 7 November 2024. https://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/qld-politics/the-key-players-pulling-lnps-strings-behind-the-scenes/news-story/515d164b28fb3cd104fa3c13bedf6ce0 (paywall).
Conclusion
The Crisafulli machinery of government changes represent an orthodox approach to arranging government.
Departmental changes are minimal in the context. The absence of favourite keywords in ministerial titles and department names will excite some vested interests. Some continuity is achieved with retention of about half the chief executives, although MoG will impact some agencies significantly for the next few months.
Overall, this appears to be a well-executed transition to government, no doubt shaped behind the scenes by some experienced hands, and capably supported by the relevant Department of Premier and Cabinet team.
.
Peter Bridgman
Barrister and Consultant
Peter is a Barrister (Qld, NSW, High Court) 
handling matters in public law; policy design; legislation review; employment and industrial law; human rights; mental health; administrative and constitutional law; planning and environment; land and resources; commercialisation. He is a Nationally Accredited Mediator, registered Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner; and member of both the Mental Health Review Tribunal (MHRT) and the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT).
Peter was commissioned to review Queensland’s public employment laws, by Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. He delivered the Bridgman Review Report (A Fair and Responsive Public Service for All) in April 2019.
Peter has a First class Honours degree in Law (QUT) and First Class Honours in Psychology (UQ). He was registered as a psychologist from 1980-2011. Before commencing private practice, Peter directed Decisive Consultants, a boutique consulting company, and worked in senior roles in government and business. Peter was Corporate Counsel for the Department of Primary Industries and Deputy Director-General in Education and the Premier’s Department. He was Head of Arts Queensland and also served as the Cabinet Secretary.
He regularly writes and presents on public law, public policy, corporate governance and legal ethics. Peter practices in Brisbane and on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast. He regularly provides pro bono legal services to a range of community organisations.