The Aporia · Who earns more than the premier? Qld’s best-paid public servants revealed

William Davis

35 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction

🔮 Asked shortly after the announcement if he believed it could provide a blueprint to his own MPs on how to counter One Nation at the 2028 Queensland election, Crisafulli talked around the question.

2026-11-02 · mixed framing · Crisafulli makes case for re-election against One Nation in Queensland regions

🔮 Train controllers narrowly voted down the deal, but the government said it believed their concerns could be addressed.

2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Full rail services to return this month as deal struck, backlog cleared

🔮 Transport and Main Roads Minister Brent Mickelberg said later in the morning he was also confident the venue would be safe for rowers at the Olympics.

2026-11-02 · assertive framing · Crocodile spotted near Rocky rowing venue, but Premier unconcerned

🔮 They said on Thursday morning he had been found and returned to custody. Stoker, whose disability services portfolio is responsible for Forensic Disability Services, was asked in parliament if she would release a list of community facilities her department had approved sex offenders to visit on day trips.

2026-10-29 · assertive framing · New minister flags changes after sex offender’s escape and recapture

🔮 Under the floated legislation, “activists” living more than 125 kilometres from proposed mining projects would be blocked from having their say on plans.

2026-10-28 · assertive framing · Queensland parliament updates: Top justice, rights figures pan cut to bail service

🔮 Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie introduced a bill acting on calls from a government-commissioned review on Wednesday night, claiming key provisions would align with federal powers. But the new ability for Bleijie to terminate protected industrial action by workers negotiating deals with government is far broader than the federal law it is said to be based on.

2026-10-15 · assertive framing · ‘Newman-era attack on workers’ should have gone to 2024 poll: Miles

🔮 Bleijie flagged the bill earlier in the day while tabling a government-commissioned review into the state’s workers’ compensation scheme and industrial relations laws, announcing the LNP would move to act on its recommendations immediately. After coming to power with a limited industrial relations agenda, the government has put forward legislation which proposes to, among other things, hand Bleijie powers to terminate protected industrial action.

2026-10-15 · assertive framing · Queensland parliament updates: Labor warns of ‘Newman-era attack on workers’

🔮 “That’s what we are doing every day, and will continue to do every day … across every front, things are getting worse.”

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Miles digs in, despite leadership grumblings, poor polling

🔮 But given the significance of the bill and the powers it will extend to the government and relevant departments, Labor MPs on the committee questioned why the departments’ directors-general were not the ones giving the briefing.

2026-10-14 · assertive framing · Queensland parliament updates: Under-pressure Labor flags mine corruption fears

🔮 Slipping property prices could reduce the number of new homes built in Brisbane, Queensland’s housing minister has warned, echoing his leader’s criticism of federal Labor’s tax changes in the May budget.

2026-10-12 · assertive framing · Property price dip could restrict Brisbane’s housing supply: minister

Also by William Davis

Crisafulli makes case for re-election against One Nation in Queensland regions

2026-11-02 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Full rail services to return this month as deal struck, backlog cleared

2026-11-02 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Crocodile spotted near Rocky rowing venue, but Premier unconcerned

2026-11-02 · The Sydney Morning Herald

New minister flags changes after sex offender’s escape and recapture

2026-10-29 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.

All 35 articles by William Davis →

The highest-paid head of department in Queensland earned more than $900,000 last year, and more than half-a-dozen were paid more than the premier. asserted

dozen → pay → premier

A dump of well over 100 annual reports in the lead-up to the Brisbane Lions’ grand final appearance revealed how much the most powerful public servants raked in during the 2025-26 financial year, including non-monetary perks. asserted

servants → reveal → perks

It also showed sizable pay rises for some. asserted

It → show → some

Health Department director-general David Rosengren earned a total package of $903,000. asserted

Rosengren → earn → 903,000

David Crisafulli’s handpicked head of the Department of Premier and Cabinet, Damien Walker, took home $838,000. asserted

head → take → 838,000

Under-Treasurer Paul Williams was paid $810,000. asserted

Williams → pay → 810,000

Since-retired Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning director-general John Sosso made $736,000. Queensland Investment Corporation chief executive Kylie Rampa earned $951,549. asserted

Rampa → retire → 951,549

The heads of Olympic bodies also brought in serious money, with Brisbane 2032 chief executive Cindy Hook on $1.033 million, while Games Independent Infrastructure and Coordination Authority chief executive Simon Crooks made $882,000, having only started in August 2025. asserted

Crooks → bring → August

President Andrew Liveris took home $177,804. asserted

Liveris → take → 177,804

Some directors-general earned sizable pay rises, with the head of the Department of Housing and Public Works, Mark Cridland, earning $675,000 – up $61,000 from $614,000 12 months prior. asserted

head → earn → 614,000

In the same period, Premier David Crisafulli earned a salary of more than $476,000 following a pay rise in the middle of 2025. asserted

Crisafulli → earn → 2025

This may not have included all the add-ons in the total pay package figures used for directors-general. uncertain

This → include → directors

The generous remuneration packages demonstrate just how much the government is willing to pay for behind-the-scenes talent. asserted

government → demonstrate → talent

Asked on Tuesday if he believed the top salaries represented good value for Queensland taxpayers, the premier said he was “really comfortable” with how the system worked. asserted

system → ask → taxpayers

“Ultimately, those senior mandarins of all those departments are accountable to me, and then indirectly to the ministers for the job they do, and that’s the way [the Westminster system] has to work,” Crisafulli told reporters. asserted

Crisafulli → do → reporters

“I’m pleased with where the public service is working. asserted

service → work → ?

I said to you from day one, my vision is to create the best public service in the state – in the country. asserted

vision → say → country

“That is my vision, and we’ve made good progress on that.” asserted

we → make → that

Who earns more than the premier? Qld’s best-paid public servants revealed

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