Premiership of David Crisafulli

2024 Queensland state election The 2024 Queensland state election was held on 26 October 2024. Polls prior to the election held that the chance of a Liberal-National party landslide was a probability. It is widely believed that Crisafulli's ambiguity on the issue of abortion caused polls to narrow before the election. Regardless of the poll narrowing, Crisafulli led the LNP to victory in the election, securing 52 of the 93 seats in the unicameral Parliament of Queensland. The Liberal-National party's win in the 2024 election secured the first LNP government since Campbell Newman won in a greatly-extensive landslide after the 2012 Queensland state election. In Australia's eight self-governing states and territories, only 3 are currently under the control of a Liberal-National coalition affiliate government. Between the 2023 New South Wales state election and the electoral landslide victory of Coalition affiliate the Country Liberal Party in the Northern Territory in August 2024, Tasmania was the country's only Coalition government — albeit in a fracturing minority supported by independents. Campaign Prior to the 2024 election, the LNP ran a 4-pronged campaign which was styled as the "Right Plan for Queensland". Crisafulli campaigned on youth crime as a major part of his election bid. He pledged $40 million towards 4 'early intervention schools' to target youth at risk of committing crime. He also committed $50 million towards the opening of 'reset camps' for young people likely to commit crime, which was criticised by his Labor colleagues as 'power overreach' and 'abusive'. The Crisafulli led LNP pledged $590 million towards an Easier Access to Health Services Plan which was highlighted by the following promises: • Provide publicly available real-time hospital data, aimed at easing pressure on staff at over-triaged times, within first 100 days; • Reduce ambulance ramping by 30% in the first 4 years; • Hire 34,200 extra healthcare workers by 2032; and • Aim to fast track elective surgical operations. The LNP unveiled their Saving you Paying Plan during the election, which was alleged would ease cost of living pressures. This plan included building more regional roads, increasing housing supply, and providing 'water security' to food producers. The LNP also vowed to stop the Pioneer Burdekin pumped-hydro plant which is said to cost around $24 billion AUD. Crisafulli alleges that this plant would increase electricity cost throughout Queensland, and instead aims to build smaller hydro and renewable energy projects at a lower cost. • Begin new housing developments by creating a $2 billion Housing Infrastructure Investment Fund; • Work on a lower level with local councils to ensure sewer and water connections to new developments; • Collaborate with local councils to streamline housing development approvals; • Remove stamp duty on new houses; and • Enact a shared-equity purchasing scheme for housing. Swearing-in David Crisafulli was on 28 October 2024 sworn in as the 41st Premier of Queensland. His deputy, Jarrod Bleijie, was also sworn in, with the both of them sharing a lengthy interim ministerial portfolio. On 1 November 2024, the totality of Crisafulli's 20-minister cabinet was sworn in by Governor Young of Queensland. == State and domestic affairs ==

Economy Mining In November 2024, it was revealed that Crisafulli has been in consultations with people interested in buying natural-resource mines in Mount Isa. Crisafulli criticised Glencore, the current owners intending on closing the mines, for not mining at the locations and therefore placing the employee's futures in jeopardy as well as the mining town itself. Later in November, Crisafulli confirmed that Queensland's mining tax will continue, but promises that the system will be "fairer". Housing Within Crisafulli's first week in the premiership, he instructed the Department of the Treasury to abolish stamp duty on new builds for first home buyers. Healthcare On 6 November 2024, Crisafulli committed to upgrading the Rockhampton Hospital's outdated emergency department to prevent it "bursting at the seams". On 10 December 2024, Crisafulli's government moved a motion in the parliament to block any changes to the Termination of Pregnancy Act that would restrict abortion, including the bill moved by Katter's Australian Party that would mandate that care be provided for babies born alive after an unsuccessful abortion. Adolescent social media ban Crisafulli announced in November 2024 that he would support Federal Labor's ban on under-16s using social media platforms. Brisbane 2032 It was confirmed on 21 July 2021 that Brisbane was to be the host of the 2032 Summer Olympics. Since this announcement, there has been considerable arguments over monetary allocations and stadium locations from both sides of politics. Crisafulli's predecessor, Miles, vaguely accepted International Olympic Committee recommendations in 2024 to scrap plans to upgrade a stadium in The Gabba in favour of building a new $3.4b stadium in Victoria Park, Brisbane. In March 2025, Crisafulli announced that a new stadium at Victoria Park would be built for the 2032 Summer Olympics, despite previously stating that a new stadium would not be built in the lead up to the 2024 election. Indigenous affairs Early in his term as premier, Crisafulli ordered that the Path to Treaty Act and parliamentary inquiries into the Act be repealed, based on the results of the 2023 Indigenous referendum. The Queensland Government has said that they are against providing native title to the indigenous for the island, hinting that it would damage the government's aspirations to restart tourism to the archipelago. The policy is the first such ban in an Australian state. On 27 October 2025, the Queensland Supreme Court ruled the directive unlawful. Hours later, on 28 October 2025, Nicholls exercised his ministerial discretion under section 44 of the Act to issue a new directive reinstating the restrictions in substantially the same terms, applying immediately to all public Hospital and Health Services. It mandates multidisciplinary panel approval for any exceptions and prioritises psychological interventions, pending the review's completion (expected November 2025) and a further evidence assessment by January 2026. The Queensland legislation passed into law on 5 March 2026. The LNP and the KAP voted for it, while Labor and the Greens voted against it. Becoming the first state in Australia to outlaw the slogans. Environment In 2025, the state government added 8,700 hectares to Queensland's national park and nature refuge system, including 6,000 hectares within the Wet Tropics World Heritage Area. Five former forest reserves have been upgraded, and eighteen new nature refuges established. == Appointments ==

Cabinet Gubernatorial and Supreme Court Justices As incumbent Governor Jeannette Young's term ends by convention in 2026, Crisafulli will choose the next Governor of Queensland. Within his first four-year term, more than 4 current Justice's of the Supreme Court of Queensland will reach the mandatory retirement age of 70, therefore Crisafulli will nominate new justices to be approved and appointed by the governor. Although the premier technically has the power the choose Magistrates Court of Queensland judges, this is usually delegated solely to the attorney-general whilst the AG and premier confer for the appointment of supreme court justices. Public service As Premier of Queensland, Crisafulli has the authority to appoint senior figures in the public service, including departmental heads. Shortly after his appointment to the Premiership, Crisafulli fired 10 directors-general of several government agencies. This was anticipated by Kaiser, who left his position peacefully, congratulating the premier for his election. Kaiser subsequently showed his support for the convention of a premier having the ability to hire and fire departmental staff. Shortly after Crisafulli's appointment, he relieved long-serving Queensland Health director-general Mike Walsh of his duties, in favour of the department's previous chief operating officer, David Rosengren. In the same round of re-appointments, Crisafulli named Rob Seiler as director-general of the Department of Families, Seniors, Disability Services and Child Safety, as well as appointing various other directors-general in an acting capacity. == Legislative agenda ==

Crime As a part of Crisafulli's campaign on crime, he announced on 29 October 2024 that his 'Making Queensland Safer Laws' would pass the Parliament before Christmas. These prospective laws have been met with criticism by organisations such as Amnesty International, particularly on the basis of 'adult crime, adult time' which would give equivalence of criminal sentencing between adult and youth convicts. The Crisafulli government later halted an inquiry into youth crime, in favour of passing these laws before the inquiry could report its findings. The laws officially passed the parliament on 12 December 2024. Truth-telling and treaty Just after a week into his premiership, Crisafulli announced that due to the results of the 2023 Australian Indigenous Voice referendum, he would repeal the Path to Treaty Act 2023 and suspend the Truth-Telling and Hearing Inquiry, chaired by Aboriginal lawyer Joshua Creamer. Labor governments in Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia took action to dissent from the public opinion revealed in the 2023 referendum and instead implement state-based recommendations of the Uluru Statement from the Heart including South Australia's implementation of an indigenous voice to Parliament. Federal Minister for Indigenous Australians, Malarndirri McCarthy, criticised Crisafulli's haste with repealing the act and stopping the inquiry, telling him to "hold your [Crisafulli's] horses". == See also ==