Parliament had a busy sitting this week, with important bills passed regarding the adoption of children  in the child protection system, consent laws in rape prosecutions as well as a number of interesting reports and announcements.

It’s been a busy week in parliament with lots of bits and pieces to tell you about so I’ll jump to it.

COVID19 Rules Eased for Easter

COVID19 first.

As of 1 am tomorrow (Saturday, March 13) private, outdoor gatherings can have up to 500 attendees. Private, indoor gatherings will be allowed up to 100 attendees.

I’ve spent the past week in Brisbane for the first sitting of the Queensland Parliament for 2021.

Kick Off

With the election over, parliament sat last week for the formal opening of the 57^th Parliament. This  was full of ceremony, with the swearing-in of new members and the Queensland Governor giving the government’s address on their plans for this term.

This week the Queensland Government eased the corona virus “Gathering” restrictions – how many people can gather in particular places. With workplaces currently booking Christmas Parties, this will be a big plus for our hospitality businesses.

Four More Years of Labor

With 88 seats out of the 93 seats now officially declared, it is clear that the winner is the ALP and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. They will govern in their own right with an estimated 52 seats.

If you applied for a postal vote but you haven’t received your ballot papers yet, don’t panic. You can still vote.

With the campaign in full swing, I just wanted to outline the voting arrangements in Gregory for you.

Election campaigns are meant to be contests that show up the differences between parties. This week delivered in spades!

A lot of media time was wasted this week discussing preferences, when most people wanted to hear about the issues facing Queensland and what the various parties propose to do about them.