COMMENT: While the prime minister may not be directly responsible for Jamie Briggs’ behaviour, he is responsible for appointing an adequate replacement in the former minister’s cities role.
Briggs resigned from his post as minister for cities and the built environment on December 29, after details emerged of alleged inappropriate conduct toward a female government staffer at a Hong Kong bar in November 2015.
Briggs, the federal member for Mayo since 2008, was named to Malcolm Turnbull’s Ministry after the latter overthrew Tony Abbott as prime minister in September 2015.
At just 38 years of age, Briggs took up the Coalition’s key new front bench role, the first specifically angled urban development since 1975, and one which the new prime minister stressed would be key to his agenda, and to the future of the nation.
It seems odd in hindsight, then, that Turnbull would give such an important role to an individual with so little ministerial experience, and – apparently – such a flair for the controversial.
The morning after Turnbull’s coup, Briggs turned up to Parliament House in a wheelchair, with a knee injury which his spokesman at the time said was sustained while he was jogging.
Briggs later revealed he was hurt trying to crash tackle Abbott at a private party – or as he described it, a “wake” – on the evening of the leadership spill.
The incident at the Hong Kong bar is alleged to have taken place just 75 days after the high jinks at the Abbott party – thus creating two notable instances of (most likely booze-induced) bad behaviour in the space of less than three months.
Upon accepting Briggs’ resignation, Turnbull said minister for environment Greg Hunt would act as minister for cities and the built environment.
It is not yet known whether Turnbull plans to name a new, full-time cities and the built environment minister.
But he should.
When he took over as prime minister, Turnbull stressed the new cities role would represent a step-change between his leadership and Tony Abbott’s.
Briggs, shortly after being appointed, said: “The focus that the Prime Minister wants me to put on this cities portfolio is to talk about and advocate for the need to win the battle of human capital.
“To do that we need liveable cities; and we need liveable cities for people to want to be part of a vibrant economy, a future economy.”
The new agenda was welcomed by the rail sector, by the states, and even by Opposition cities and transport minister Anthony Albanese.
But for the sake of all it stands for, the new cities role cannot be wrapped up into the environment portfolio in the long-run.
Turnbull needs to name a new minister for cities and the built environment before Parliament returns in 2016. With the first session scheduled for February 2, the countdown is on.