David Williams recalls writing consultant reports for the state government after his return to work in Queensland, including an independent review into the cancelled A1 Grand Prix car race on the Gold Coast in 2009. He comments on how his background as a senior executive in the public service assisted him in writing such reviews.
David Williams talks about his role as head of the Queensland Events Corporation, including how he dealt with lobbying by interest groups from different parts of the state. He mentions the secrecy of some of the agency's negotiations in the competitive arena of events bidding and planning, and how some events were 'poached' from other states. He also discusses the agency's funding arrangements and budgetary planning for events such as the Indy car race.
David Williams discusses working in government in both Tasmania and Queensland during the 1980s and 1990s. He compares the large number of departments in Tasmania's bureaucracy with developments in Queensland where the state government had begun the process of corporatising agencies and offices. He adds that events agencies were a relatively new initiative operating in only a few states.
