Monday 16 November 2009

Amalgamate economic bodies: Jason O’Brien

Just hours before tonight's Cairns Forum public meeting is to be held, Jason O’Brien MP
Member for Cook slams the event and calls it yet another talkfest.
 
O'Brien says the various business groups should amalgamate economic bodies.

“We now have a fourth development body in Cairns, the Cairns Forum, on top of existing organisations such as Advance Cairns, the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism Tropical North Queensland,” he said.

"This is a truly bizarre state of affairs, and one that is not conducive to effective decision-making about economic development.
“In fact it seems to me that it may actually be counter-productive. I will be having a very close look at what is going on.
“I will be talking to my State Government colleagues about it, and if there is a threat to effective, timely and efficient decision-making, then I will have to think about withholding funding to the existing bodies.

“I am astounded that a new body appears to have been formed with the same faces as those at Advance Cairns, TTNQ and the Chamber of Commerce. I don’t really know what purpose it is going to serve other than to add another layer of bureaucracy to what is already a jungle of private sector red tape. It is bureaucracy gone mad."

“Rather than add another layer of bureaucracy, we should be amalgamating our existing bodies.
“Look at Townsville Enterprise. That is one efficient, effective representative economic development body. It kicks goals. It’s a lean, mean development machine and everyone knows it."

“Townsville Enterprise versus our divided effort is why for example Papua New Guinea does business with that city, not Cairns.
“It’s time our business leaders got down to actually doing business rather than forming new talkfest clubs. The Federal and State Governments have recently formed one new combinedeconomic development body, Regional Development Australia."

“It is a ONE-STOP SHOP. Who on earth represents the private sector to my constituents on the Cape and in the Islands – is it Advance Cairns? Is it TTNQ? Is it the Chamber of Commerce? Is it the Cairns Forum?," Jason O'Brien asks.

6 comments:

Oliver Redlynch said...

Too many vested interests, too many personal power bases, too many personalities. Too many jobs for the boys (girls). Too many disparate historical interests whilst all trying to hang onto what-ever cents they can get from government. That's why its fragmented. Yup we need people talking, but enough talk, now is the time for action, and its time we had ONE seriously funded and supported body to take serious action. .... I can dream.

I Am The Stig said...

Well said Jason and is the reason why I won't be attending tonight. Just look at the names speaking and ask yourself why are they there?

CBD Warrior said...

Jason is a typical two-faced politician. He was quick to take the endorsement of many of these people he's now bagging. As Cairns councillor, he accomplished nothing of substance, when he could have "reformed" the development organisations if he had wanted.

The fact is Jason is no more effective than any of the labor drones in Cairns. He votes as he's told, and does little to nothing of import.

Tony Hillier said...

Methinks the Member for Cook has a point — too many incestuous quangos. A one-stop-shop makes sense.

Skins said...

Mr. O'Brien should look a little closer to home than he currently is.
Yesterday on McKenzie he bagged Jeremy Blockey from the Cairns Chamber for doing nothing to help Cairns businesses.
Just to set the record straight, Jeremy Blockey does not receive any payment for his considerable efforts with the Cairns Chamber, whereas Mr. O'Brien has had his nose in the public trough for a considerable time now with very little to show or to brag about during his public tenures.
He should keep his nasty, politically motivated rants to himself.
They don't do him or his unfortunate targets a scrap of good.

portmultimedia said...

O'Brien is more interested in defending his own parties decisions than really listening to his constituency...

These committees or enterprises can still work together on setting targets and achieving goals and to say these smaller organisations add to red tape is the biggest croc of cooma I have ever heard. Has CRC become more efficient with amalgamation? NO it has not! And dont tell me it will 'in time' because all they keep doing is putting the rates up to increase revenue... If that is being efficient, that would be why O'Briens party have sent QLD broke!

Qld needs a real broom through the Parliament so we can get rid of these arrogant bunch of proffessional fools that continue to errode the democratic process.