Following state elections on Saturday, 25 November, Queenslanders are now awaiting the official announcement of the new Queensland Government.
Whilst at the time of writing, a definitive outcome has not yet been reached, a victory for the ALP currently appears to be the most likely outcome, with victory in the Gaven electorate likely giving Labour 47 seats; a total which would result in a one-seat majority in the new 93-seat parliament.
The 2017 election has also seen success for the Queensland Greens, who will celebrate their first elected position in Queensland, with candidate Mark Berkman being elected for inner-west Brisbane’s Maiwar electorate. This victory follows a best-ever election result for the Greens, which saw them take 10% of the overall vote.
For engineering professionals, the final outcome of the election may have a profound impact on the direction of the profession in Queensland. In preparation for the election, Engineers Australia Queensland recently outlined its policy priorities for the latest Queensland State Election
These policy priorities were submitted in order to draw official policy responses from political parties, helping Engineers Australia members to make informed decisions around policy affecting them and their wider professions.
The most likely outcome at the time of writing being a win for the ALP’s Palaszczuk Government. A response to Engineers Australia’s policy priorities has been received from the ALP, which outlines their direct responses to those recommendations.
Official responses to the Engineers Australia policy priorities were also received from other parties:
The engineering profession creates solutions which help to make the world a better place; public policy which draws on, values and empowers engineers is essential in fostering innovation and facilitating progress for Queensland. Engineers Australia Queensland is proud to be an advocate of Queensland engineers and represent their interests in the advancement of the profession, and by extension society. Engineers Australia looks forward to working with all elected representatives to further the cause of engineers across Queensland.