The purpose of this letter is to share research and analysis conducted by the Institute of Public Affairs (the IPA) with the Governance, Energy and Finance Committee (the committee) as it conducts its inquiry into the Queensland Productivity Commission Bill 2024 (the bill).
The bill aims to establish a Queensland Productivity Commission (QPC), setting out the powers and functions of the QPC and the parameters within which it can and should act. The bill provides in clause 3 that the QPC will be established to:
- undertake inquiries and research and to provide independent advice to the Minister in relation to economic and social issues, regulatory matters or legislation having particular regard to productivity, economic growth and improving living standards.
The IPA welcomes efforts by state governments to pursue policy reform to improve economic productivity. However, the general and vague wording used in the bill, and the listed functions of the QPC, risk undermining its potential effectiveness. The IPA recommends that the bill should contain a legislated charter that imposes on the QPC obligations to:
- Promote economic growth and productivity by measuring and identifying opportunities to cut red tape
- Promote efficiency of government by regular review of government bodies, including identifying opportunities to abolish or rationalise inefficeint or unnecesasry government bodies.
- Review and scrutinise the integrity and quality of scientific research underlying policy development in Queensland.
