Stewart’s shift not good look

ACCORDING to State Government tender documents, fitting out Townsville MP Scott Stewart’s new Flinders St office cost $223,456.

Local real estate insiders speculate that Mr Stewart’s new headquarters could be one of the best in town, fetching an estimated $100,000 in annual rent.

That’s a lot of money that will likely irk voters of the belief it could have been better spent elsewhere.

But the real sting in the tail is that, according to the tender document, it was a Brisbane-based firm that was given the fit-out work.

The office of the Townsville MP was previously based at 31 Sturt St but Queensland Parliament clerk Neil Laurie said it was too small to fulfil the requirements.

Given it’s been home to the local members since the 1990s, it’s difficult to see why now there is need for additional space and neither Mr Stewart nor Mr Laurie were able to shed more light.

Mr Stewart said he didn’t have a say in the new location and Mr Laurie said it was not over and above the standard of other MPS’ offices, but that’s unlikely to wash with voters.

Neither would reveal the rental costs with Mr Laurie trotting out the convenient and well-used “commercial in confidence” line and Mr Stewart pleading ignorance.

The new signage certainly is eyecatching and seems to have come at an opportune time for the incumbent with a year to go until the next state election.

But with Mr Stewart only holding on to his seat by 214 votes in the 2017 election, replacing the new signs should he miss out next year is an expense we could all do without.

Mr Stewart seems like a really nice bloke, but there comes a point where we have to decide if we want nice leaders or effective leaders.

Mr Stewart has failed to find out how much the move cost, failed to ensure a local business got the work and failed to see that moving into a plush new office might not be the best look.