The committee system comments prompted the opposition to claim the LNP government was trying to dodge scrutiny. Mr Newman said the LNP government would look at bills “on a case-by-case basis” to determine whether they needed to go to a committee for checking. “I'm saying don't be surprised if we don't just take it straight through and put it through quickly,” he told reporters outside State Parliament on the eve of the first post-election sitting. “I'm just trying to forewarn you today that there will be occasions, like with this cost-of-living thing, that won't go to committee, because it won't need to. It's very clear-cut, straight up and down.” Mr Newman said another example of a bill that would bypass the committee checking process would be one to axe sustainability declarations on property sales, in line with an election promise.

Asked whether he would be seen to be abusing the LNP's large majority he said: “I'll accept the people of Queensland's judgment on those matters. We believe we have a mandate for things that we made clear, unequivocal commitments on.” Mr Newman said the LNP had “a very big agenda” and issues that the party made clear promises on would “not necessarily go to committee”. “They will be fast-tracked through the Parliament and we believe that's fair enough because we had a very clear agenda we put to Queenslanders and so it will go through as quickly as possible,” he said. I'm saying don't be surprised if we don't just take it straight through and put it through quickly. Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said Mr Newman's actions did not match up with his promise to govern with “humility, grace and dignity”.

“I am appalled that the Premier has suggested that legislation vital to Queenslanders will avoid proper scrutiny through the committee system,” the Labor leader said in a statement. “I now have grave fears for the fate of Estimates committees and the Parliamentary Crime and Misconduct Committee under the Newman Government.” Ms Palaszczuk questioned whether the LNP was returning “to Bjelke-Petersen standards of accountability”. “In the Bjelke-Petersen days our State Parliament had no built-in systems of accountability,” she said. “But since the Fitzgerald Report we have seen the evolution of real accountability mechanisms in our parliament.

“Most recently, the last parliament established a system of legislative committees to scrutinise bills. This system had bipartisan support and was actively supported by the then opposition LNP. “Now Mr Newman, who is yet to sit in parliament, wants to bypass an essential system of scrutiny and accountability.” Parliamentary committees, made up of MPs from across the political spectrum, can seek public input on proposed bills and recommend amendments. The bipartisan team that reviewed the committee system in 2010 recommended that all bills, except those deemed "urgent", should go to portfolio committees for inquiry and report. In a 2010 report, the review team said any exception to the referral of bills to committees "must be transparent, narrowly-defined, and extraordinary in nature".

The nine-member committee that wrote the report included senior LNP figures Jeff Seeney and Lawrence Springborg. The work of committees is not always in the public spotlight but is considered significant given Queensland does not have an upper house. One of the first bills to go to Parliament this week, without committee checking, is the shake-up to the committee system, including increasing the number of members of each committee from six to eight, and filling six of the places with government members. Mr Newman said this was needed because the committee system would not function without the law being brought in. Asked whether the LNP's post-election plans to introduce minimum mandatory sentencing for gun crime would go to a committee, Mr Newman said he would weigh up the matter.

“You'll have to see ... we might well put that to committee,” he said. Mr Newman said the issue of civil unions had not yet been to cabinet and he was unsure whether a bill on that matter would go to a committee. “You'll just have to wait and see,” he said. Mr Newman said the cost-of-living bill to be introduced to Parliament this week would achieve a number of promises, including the freezing of the standard domestic electricity tariff next financial year and reintroducing the concession of up to $7000 on stamp duty for home owners who change their main home. “This is about delivery and I'm looking forward to seeing that go into the house on Thursday,” he said.

Mr Newman would not speculate about when it would be passed, but said the stamp duty relief would apply for people who enter into contracts from July 1. Measures to save people on their water bills were still being worked on as the matter was more complex, he said. Loading This week marks the first parliamentary sitting since the state election that delivered the LNP a massive majority. MPs will be sworn in tomorrow morning and elect Fiona Simpson as the new Speaker, ahead of Governor Penelope Wensley's formal opening of the 54th Queensland Parliament on Wednesday.