KIM RICHARDS CRACKS THE WHIP IN OUR QUEENSLAND PARLIAMENT AS NEW DEPUTY WHIP
Our Member for Redlands in the Queensland Parliament, Kim Richards, has every reason to be cracking a whip on the front cover of this edition.
That’s because Kim has recently received several major promotions that clearly identify her as a politician ‘on the rise’ within the Labor Party in Queensland.
Her latest role is the new Deputy Whip for the Government in Parliament.
A strange title, and clearly inherited from British Parliamentary history.
Kim explained to The Friendly Islander that the term ‘whip’ comes from an English hunting term ‘whipper-in’.
“This title was given to the person responsible for whipping in the hunting hounds to stop them straying during a hunt.
“When first used in the English Parliament, it referred to the ‘whipping in’ of parliamentarians to vote a certain way so that a vote was carried on a certain matter,” she said.
Both Government and Opposition have Whips as well as Deputy Whips.
The Whips’ most important role is to make sure that when a vote is taken in the House, all their Members (ie. all Government members or all Opposition members) are present in the Legislative Chamber for the vote.
The Whips ensure that their party Members know what is going to take place in the Chamber each day; they arrange for their Members to take part in debates and they supply lists of their party Members to be on parliamentary committees.
Kim Richards added” “It is a fairly demanding job and one that I am particularly enjoying.”
And her new work doesn’t stop there.
Kim Richards is also chair of the War on Wrecks Taskforce which has been clearing the considerable Queensland shoreline of dangerous wrecked vessels of all shapes and sizes.
Two new additional roles involve two major Parliamentary committees.
The Economics and Governance Committee of the 56th Parliament was established as a portfolio committee of the Queensland Legislative Assembly in 2018.
The committee has responsibility for the portfolio areas of Premier and Cabinet, and Trade; Treasury, and Infrastructure and Planning, and; Local Government, Racing, and Multicultural Affairs.
This committee (among other things) examines the estimates of each department (and relevant statutory agencies); as well as examining Bills to consider the policy to be enacted; and examines Bills and subordinate legislation.
Kim is also a member of the Parliamentary Crime and Corruption Committee established under the Crime and Corruption Act 2001.
It monitors and reviews the performance of the functions, and the structure of the Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC or the Commission); reporting to Parliament on matters relevant to the Commission; overseeing the appointment of Commissioners and the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission.
Definitely a busy lady as well as being very active in looking after the people who elected her to Parliament in the first place: the people who live in the Redlands and on our islands.
• Kim Richards cracking the whip in our front cover picture