Lack of planning by the Palaszczuk Government has left Queensland energy workers in the dark over their future, it was revealed during Budget Estimates hearings today.
Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart said Labor still couldn’t tell workers how many staff would ultimately be transferred into Energy Queensland, or how many staff would be rolled into the new Energy Services Business that would compete directly against mum and dad contractors for work.
“We found out today that there isn’t even a business case for new energy services business, despite it being a key part of the merger process,” Mr Hart said.
“We asked questions today on the number of staff to be transferred into Energy Queensland, the number of staff to be relocated to the new headquarters in Townsville and the number of staff that have to be relocated as a result of this merger – we didn’t get a proper answer to any of those questions.
“This is typical of the Palaszczuk Government, making it up as it goes and refusing to face the consequences.
“It’s particularly worrying Labor still can’t tell mum and dad contractors how many staff will be transferred into the new energy service business that will compete directly against them for work.”
Today’s revelations come almost a week after Treasurer Curtis Pitt was forced to admit the savings from merging state-owned businesses Ergon and Energex were significantly lower than previously claimed.
“The identified total savings of $187 million are far lower than previously claimed by the Treasurer and he’s finally been forced to admit the truth,” Mr Hart said.
“This entire process has been mishandled by the Palaszczuk Government from the start, and not only has the government been caught out grossly overestimating the benefits of the merger, they’re unable provide any details on the make-up or structure of Energy Queensland.
“Today’s revelations are proof of the Palaszczuk Government’s sloppy administration and Queenslanders deserve better.”
Over 650 frontline health jobs are set to go after the Palasczcuk Labor Government confirmed their plan to cut hundreds of staff in hospitals and health centres across the state, following Opposition questioning in Estimates today.
Shadow Health Minister John Paul Langbroek said much-needed jobs would be lost from Hospital and Health Services (HHS) across Queensland after they were found to run deficits last financial year.
“Labor has continually talked up its commitment to frontline staffing, yet we’re seeing 654 frontline staff losing their jobs because of this government’s mismanagement,” Mr Langbroek said.
“Just last year, Health Minister Cameron Dick claimed he had delivered “a record” budget – a budget that went on to deliver a $99 million deficit across the Health Department.
“Now 654 health workers are paying the price – not to mention the thousands of Queenslanders they assist each and every day.
“Frontline staff across the State’s east coast will be affected, with cuts planned in South East Queensland, Wide Bay and Cairns.”
Staff reductions are scheduled to occur this year at:
“If the asleep at the wheel Labor Government continues its streak of financial mismanagement, it’s likely more of our hardworking health workers could face further job losses in the future,” Mr Langbroek said.
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s embattled Child Safety Minister has refused to take responsibility for key failings in her Department.
Shadow Child Safety Minister Ros Bates said after weeks of crisis in her Department coming to a head with revelations of more child deaths Shannon Fentiman still refused to accept her Department was in crisis.
“Shannon Fentiman said she was briefed by her Department in October last year on child abuse backlogs but it failed to rate a mention in her Ministerial diary,” Ms Bates said.
“It’s unbelievable a meeting so important and involving critical directions for departmental action to address child abuse investigation backlogs wasn’t logged in the Minister’s diary and her explanation sounds all too convenient.
“Where were the KPIs out of this meeting or the milestones for success to address the backlog crisis and was this meeting even recorded at all?”
Ms Bates said it was the same briefing Ms Fentiman was apparently briefed on the backlog crisis at the Caboolture Child Safety Service Centre but it had been left out of her diary.
“Over the past week Shannon Fentiman has denied a Child Safety crisis and has abandoned providing extra resources to address the growing investigations backlog meltdown,” she said.
“Children at risk of abuse and those in state care deserve a Minister who is focussed on protecting them and ensuring the system works for them, not against them.
“If the Minister hadn’t been so busy spinning numbers to justify failings on her watch, we might not have this crisis.
“It would appear the Minister is more interested in weekend getaways than taking responsibility for her Department.”
THE Palaszczuk Government’s rhetoric on innovation has been dealt an embarrassing blow after it was revealed its signature policy had cost $60 million in its first year and created only 121 jobs.
Shadow Innovation Minister Tarnya Smith said Annastacia Palaszczuk’s much-hyped Advance Queensland initiative was another in a growing list of failures.
“I was shocked to learn in Estimates this thought bubble had only created 121 jobs at a cost of more than $60 million to taxpayers,” Ms Smith said.
“That equates to a staggering $502,785.12 per individual job.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has overseen this thought bubble and spruiked it to anyone who’ll listen at every opportunity.
“It was only this week she slung $1 million to a multi-national company Boeing to get a few seconds of vision on the nightly news.”
Ms Smith said Advance Queensland was initially allocated $180 million in last year’s budget but had an extra $405 million pumped into its kitty in this year’s budget.
“With unemployment on the rise, corporate welfare handouts to multinational companies don’t create jobs for Queenslanders now, especially when home-grown Queensland businesses miss out,” Ms Smith said.
“On top of last week’s revelations that the Palaszczuk Government has created another 8,000 public service jobs in the past year, Queenslanders must be thinking this Labor government knows how to spend money but doesn’t have a clue how to create real jobs.”
More than 170 Queensland school teachers have made WorkCover claims after being assaulted by violent students over the last 18 months, as the number of pupils suspended or expelled for bad behaviour jumps to a record high.
Shadow Minister for Education Tracy Davis said the figures showed 174 teachers being assaulted by out of control students across the state.
“These are worrying figures on two fronts. Clearly whatever the Palaszczuk Labor Government claims to be doing isn’t working,” Ms Davis said.
“Any assault on our hardworking teachers is one too many. We don’t need more slogans or posters we need actions to address this very serious issue.
“In the past 18 months, 174 teachers were so badly injured, they filed successful Work Cover claims and in some cases, were unable to continue working.
“How can we encourage more bright Queenslanders to become teachers when we can’t ensure their safety in our classrooms?
“These are only the most serious cases- so we can only imagine how many other incidents are happening in our classrooms on a daily basis and going unreported.”
These figures come off the back of the latest suspension data showing more children then every before are being suspended or excluded from schools across Queensland.
Between January 1 2015 and March this year more than 82,000 students were removed from the school for a range of incidents serious enough to warrant suspension or expulsion,” she said.
“The number of short suspensions also jumped by more than 10 per cent between 2014 and 2015,” Ms Davis said.
“The LNP slashed red tape to give principals more power to manage behavioural issues quickly and effectively but clearly Labor isn’t giving our schools the support they need to bring about long term change.
“We need a united approach from parents, teachers, students and the broader community- not just a fleeting briefing from the Department as the Minister suggests.”
The Opposition has called for urgent action from the Palaszczuk Government to deal with an alarming number of instances where children are in dangerous domestic situations.
Shadow Minister for Child Safety Ros Bates said front line officers continue to work day and night to protect Queensland kids but instead of taking action, Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman is caught up in reviewing instead of doing.
“Today we’ve seen frightening reports of five children previously known to the child safety department being murdered, while a further 18 child deaths are being investigated under suspicious circumstances,” Ms Bates said.
“Child abuse response times continue to blow out because Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Minister refuse to act immediately to provide extra resources to frontline child safety officers to protect at-risk children.
“Shannon Fentiman can hide behind reviews and statistics, but behind every number there is another potential Mason Lee, who was known to the Minister’s Department and was not saved.
“The Minister needs to explain why nothing has been done to fix the problem after being advised of worrying response times in October 2015, admitting she had not deployed specialist investigation teams since being advised.
“Queenslanders have an expectation their Government is there to make a decision and do something.”
Ms Bates said the Opposition’s call for action comes after the Palaszczuk Government finally bowed to pressure and released statistics that confirm the state’s child safety system is in crisis.
“Queensland children are being left in dangerous situations for too long and we need immediate action to ensure better protection of our kids,” said Ms Bates.
“Figures released this week reveal that, under Labor, 10 per cent of Queensland children deemed to be in the most danger are not being seen within the recommended 24 hour time period.
“Seventy-one per cent of children that are supposed to be checked on within 5 days are not being seen in that timeframe.
“Queensland’s children that are in danger don’t need more reviews they need action now before another child is lost because overworked frontline child safety workers can’t get to them.”
Queensland’s economic performance has slipped again following the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s second budget, according to today’s CommSec State of the States Report.
The latest quarterly CommSec report shows Queensland is ranked last on construction work and second last on unemployment and economic growth.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said this was just the latest independent report to show Queensland was falling further and further behind under the do-nothing Palaszczuk Government.
“Instead of battling New South Wales and Victoria for top spot, we’re languishing alongside Tasmania right at the bottom in the economic state of origin,” Mr Emerson said.
“Today’s report shows Queensland fell further down the rankings on a range of other indicators including overall economic performance, retail spending and housing finance.”
Mr Emerson said it was clear Treasurer Curtis Pitt's second budget had done little to restore the confidence needed to drive growth and deliver jobs for Queenslanders.
“This is directly attributable to the failed policies of a Labor Government that is totally asleep at the wheel,” he said.
“It’s also the latest independent report to show Queensland is hurting and why Treasurer Curtis Pitt has been dubbed 'Captain Risky' over his reckless policies including massive tax hikes, raids on super and public service expenses growth almost five times the population rate.
“Today’s Queensland Resources Council’s State of the Sector Report shows poor regulation is stifling confidence and the latest confidence survey from the Property Council revealed Palaszczuk-Pitt’s Labor is seen as the worst performing government in the country.
“Only the LNP has the experience and competence to power up the economy, generate jobs and Get Queensland Moving.”
Evidence given to an Estimates hearing in Queensland Parliament this week confirms that the Palaszczuk Labor Government has turned its back on Queensland farmers as it continues to stand by controversial vegetation laws set to devastate the state’s agriculture industry.
Shadow Agriculture Minister Dale Last said it was clear Agriculture Minister Leanne Donaldson had not considered the impact Labor’s draconian laws would have on the very industry she’s responsible for protecting.
“The Minister continues to bury her head in the sand despite repeated warnings from the industry, including AgForce, who says the laws will devastate farm productivity and profitability,” Mr Last said.
“When asked how Labor’s proposed laws would assist in delivering the Minister’s stated objective to create jobs and generate profitable primary industries, it was clear the Minister had no answers.
“The Minister was forced to admit she had not even met with Deputy Premier Jackie Trad to discuss the potential impact of Labor’s tree-clearing laws.
Mr Last said the Minister was vague when questioned about the number of times she had met with the Deputy Premier - who is leading Labor’s vegetation management charge from her inner-city South Brisbane electorate.
“None of Ms Donaldson’s staff, nor any of the Departmental staff, have bothered to meet with the Deputy Premier to raise concerns,” Mr Last said.
“It seems everyone understands the impact these laws will have on the market value of on the market value of their properties- except the Minister.
“By ignoring community and industry feedback, Labor’s promise to create jobs and support Queensland’s primary industries has been exposed as nothing more than hollow rhetoric.
The Palaszczuk Government has finally bowed to pressure and released statistics that confirm the state’s child safety system is in crisis and Queensland children are being left in dangerous situations for too long.
Shadow Minister for Child Safety Ros Bates said child abuse response times continued to blow out because Annastacia Palaszczuk and her Child Safety Minister refused to act immediately to provide extra resources to frontline child safety officers to protect at-risk children.
“Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman has known since last October that child safety offices statewide are buckling under the pressure of increased caseloads,” Ms Bates said.
“Today’s figures reveal that, under Labor, 10 per cent of Queensland children deemed to be in the most danger are not being seen within the recommended 24 hour time period.
“Seventy-one per cent of children that are supposed to be checked on with 5 days are not being seen in that timeframe.
“Queensland’s children in danger don’t need more reviews they need action now before another child is lost because overworked frontline child safety workers can’t get to them.
“Shannon Fentiman can hide behind reviews and statistics, but behind every number there is another potential Mason Lee, who was known to the Minister’s Department and was not saved.”
Ms Bates said despite being advised of the worrying response times as far back as October 2015, Ms Fentiman had still done nothing, admitting specialist investigation teams had not been deployed.
“The last time these specialist teams were dispatched was in the dark days of the Beattie-Bligh Labor Government when the child safety system was in meltdown,” she said.
“Shannon Fentiman needs to explain why nothing has happened since she apparently ordered her Director General to fix this problem last year.
“Unlike Labor, the LNP commissioned the landmark Child Protection Commission of Inquiry (Carmody Review), committed over $400 million to implement its recommendations and employed 77 new frontline child safety workers to protect our children.
“In just 18 months all that hard work has been undone by an asleep at the wheel Minister while children languish on investigation waiting lists.”
State Development Minister Anthony Lynham has blamed local councils for Labor’s failure to deliver more than $65 million in job creating projects in the past year.
Shadow State Development Minister Deb Frecklington said Labor’s Building Our Regions had a $70 million budget allocation last year, but only $406,000 of that budget was actually spent.
“When asked why over $69 million of funding for the program had been held back from regional Queenslanders, Mr Lynham stumbled before pointing the blame at local councils for slow application times*,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The State Development Minister had the hide to blame the Building Our Regions delays on local Councils not submitting their expressions of interest on time.
“In true Labor form, Anthony Lynham is blaming everyone but himself for this disastrous program.
“The Minister needs to step up and take responsibility for short-changing Queensland’s regions.”
Ms Frecklington said Anthony Lynham sat in Budget estimates last year** and proudly declared funding for Labor’s Building Our Regions program would be brought forward a year.
“He now needs to explain his failure to deliver job creating projects for regional Queensland,” she said.
“Despite the 99 per cent underspend, the Minister not only argued the program was going according to plan, but he said it was actually progressing better than he had initially anticipated.
“The reality is the LNP’s Royalties for Regions program, which Labor scrapped, delivered more last year than Labor’s own Building our Regions program.
“The LNP isn’t even in government and our programs are delivering more for regional Queensland.
“Imagine the jobs that could be created if this do-nothing Labor government stopped sitting on his hands, and started investing in regional projects.”
*TRANSCRIPT of Minister Anthony Lynham, Budget Estimates, 20 July 2016 (E&OE)
When asked why there’s a 99% underspend on the Building Our Regions program:
Deb Frecklington: Minister, if I could now turn to Building our Regions. I refer you to page 111 on Budget paper 3 that shows only $406,000 was spent under your program and I ask how many jobs did this 99 per cent underspend cost Queenslanders?
Anthony Lynham: I thank the Member for Nanango for her question. It’s not unusual that these projects do start with this slow progression because-
DF: 99 per cent Minister.
AL: I think your Royalties for the Regions program there was nothing in the first year- a zero dollar figure in the first year in 2012/13.
DF: Minister you are the government now.
AL: Ahh, um- I just.
DF: I’m just reminding the Minister…it is his second budget, that’s right Mr Cripps.
AL: Mr Chair, I can happily talk generally in that any grants program, especially one of this nature, and especially with the experience of those opposite will realise that these take time. Time for councils prepared plans, they take time for milestones to be released. These things are budgeted for. But the time for the money rollout will follow those milestones being released by council. We also achieve efficiencies in these programs as well. We’ve identified in one round $15 million worth of efficiency – we’ve been able to progress back to a further round of building our regions.
Lynham explaining the process and how councils make an application:
Anthony Lynham: To manage it properly, a number of steps and guidelines are established and councils have to make an application. These applications have to be assessed based on a clear set of criteria and advice sought from the relevant agencies. Cost for the analysis must be undertaken and due diligence on projects also must be undertaken.
Once a project is selected, an agreement must be developed, and project milestones and special conditions agreed to.
After an agreement is signed by both parties, the council has to undertake a detailed design and tender process and select a successful contractor. Obtaining the necessary approvals must be undertaken before ground can be broken on site.
Anthony Lynham saying the program is going better than anticipated:
Anthony Lynham: A low spend in the first year of a new grants program is not uncommon. While the spend may appear slow, I can assure you that the project is rolling out according to plan, in fact better than originally anticipated.
**HANSARD from Minister Anthony Lynham, Budget Estimates, 15 August, 2015:
“I am pleased to advise the committee that the government is bringing forward, as I said before, the Building our Regions program from 2016-17 to 2015-16. This will allow the government to fast-track its jobs agenda in regional Queensland…”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government needs to explain to Queensland taxpayers why it spent $1.5 million on a Chengdu trade office before proper due diligence could be performed.
During Estimates today, Trade and Investment Queensland acting-head Mr Jack Noye revealed the Chinese trade office had been opened on the whim of the Premier following her visit earlier this year.
Mr Noye confirmed the office was opened with no business case, no due diligence and no cost-benefit analysis.
LNP Deputy Leader Deb Frecklington said Queensland taxpayers deserved better than to foot the bill for the Premier’s careless spending spree.
“Typical Labor. No business plan. No cost-benefit analysis just the whim of the Premier and a whopping bill for over one-and-a-half million dollars,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The answer from Trade and Investment Queensland acting-head to the Committee confirmed all the rumours that have been swirling along George Street – that there was no business plan or cost-benefit analysis, just a thought bubble on the first-class flight back to Brisbane.
“Queenslanders deserve an explanation from the Premier as to why this office jumped the queue without proper processes and consultation.
“This is just another example of the Palaszczuk Government spending other people’s money on a whim.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government have once again refused to tell Queenslanders how they will be slugged to pay for their controversial Cross River Rail project.
Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Infrastructure Minister Deb Frecklington said Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad today refused to reveal what secret taxes the government planned to introduce despite being given numerous opportunities to do so.
“Jackie Trad was asked repeatedly in Estimates today to rule out any new fees or taxes to fund CRR but failed to do so,” Ms Frecklington said.
“All this from a Minister who in the same breath said she wanted to have a ‘conversation’ with Queenslanders.
“Labor needs to come clean with Queenslanders about its plan to introduce sneaky new taxes to pay for Cross River Rail.”
Ms Frecklington said Labor’s Cross River Rail project had become an absolute disaster.
“Labor’s Cross River Rail means secret taxes, flooded stations and tunnels without trains,” she said.
“What we do know is there is a $4.6 billion black hole in funding after the true cost of CRR blew out to almost $10bn.
“This fiscally incompetent government is hell bent on swindling Queenslanders.”
Labor's hidden business case includes the following new taxes to fund CRR:
TRANSCRIPT FROM TODAY’S ESTIMATES:
DEB FRECKLINGTON: When did the Deputy Premier first present her cost sharing policy to Cabinet?
JACKIE TRAD: Obviously the deliberations of Cabinet are a confidential matter including the business case of the Cross River Rail.
The State Infrastructure Plan did go to Cabinet and was released in March this year and there is a whole section on value capture.
Value capture and value sharing is a very important issue.
We are undertaking an investigation into value sharing, we are having a conversation with the community about value sharing.
Queensland’s State Actuary has revealed he never recommended the Palaszczuk Government raid $4 billion from public servants’ superannuation, warning it should take no-more than half that amount.
Under questioning from Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson during Parliamentary Estimates hearings, State Actuary Wayne Cannon also said the fund achieved only a 4 per cent return last financial year, well below the 6 per return on which he based his calculations.
“Mr Cannon made it clear his sole recommendation was for the government to take a maximum of $2 billion from the public service super scheme,” Mr Emerson said.
“The State Actuary said it was only on the urging of the Palaszczuk Government’s Under Treasurer that he provided advice on the impact of taking $4 billion but made it clear he did not recommend that amount be raided from the fund.
“It's also been revealed the Under Treasurer held behind closed door discussions with the State Actuary regarding his advice.
“It’s alarming the government has ignored the State Actuary’s independent recommendation and interfered in such an inappropriate way – they are playing Russian Roulette with public servants’ super.”
Mr Emerson said Treasurer Curtis Pitt’s reckless dismissal of the State Actuary's recommendation was now of even more concern given the fund only achieved a return of four per cent last financial year.
“Mr Cannon had calculated the funds surplus based on an average 6 per cent return but last year's return fell well short of that," Mr Emerson said.
“Only this week, CPA chief executive Alex Malley criticised the short-sightedness of the government’s raid, calling it risky.
“Queenslanders deserve better than a do-nothing Government incapable of delivering a sustainable long-term economic plan for Queensland.”
TRANSCRIPT FROM TODAY’S ESTIMATES:
SCOTT EMERSON: The State Treasurer keeps mentioning the word advice. I noticed in the earlier report you made a recommendation. Did you make a recommendation of the $4 billion?
STATE ACTUARY WAYNE CANNON: No.
SCOTT EMERSON: You did not make a recommendation?
MR CANNON: No I didn’t.
SCOTT EMERSON: In the first report you made a recommendation of $2 billion, but later on, to use the Treasurer’s terms, you gave advice in terms of if they this amount of money out this is the consequences? Is this correct?
MR CANNON: Yes that’s correct.
SCOTT EMERSON: So, $5 billion the advice was if you take $5 billion out these are the consequences, if you take $4 billion out these are the consequences. But nowhere in the report, let’s be very clear about this, nowhere in the report did you recommend $4 billion?
MR CANNON: No that’s absolutely correct.
E&OE
QUOTES FROM ALEX MALLEY OPINION PIECE: (Courier Mail, 19 July 2016)
“The wisdom of the Palaszczuk Government’s move to raid the public service pension fund surplus is looking less and less compelling with each passing day…
“There’s no substitute for a long-term coherent economic strategy implemented with clarity and consistency. If such a strategy existed, it is unlikely that the Government would feel it necessary or sensible to raid pension funds.”
It was revealed today the Palaszczuk Government’s plan to address ‘regional’ youth unemployment in Queensland fails to cover thousands of young job seekers in Toowoomba, Ipswich and South East Queensland.
Shadow Minister for Employment Jarrod Bleijie said Labor’s job package leaves thousands of young Queenslanders having to go it alone without vital assistance from the government to find work.
“It’s hardly surprising considering they didn’t even speak to key industry groups like Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland about their major employment policy,” said Mr Bleijie.
“The Palaszczuk Government has shown it has no regard for Toowoomba and Ipswich by blatantly overlooking these key regional hubs where there are thousands of unemployed young people.
“This is hardly an oversight but rather a telling sign that Employment Minister Grace Grace has no decisive plan to tackle youth unemployment.
“She even admitted her reluctance to help young people find jobs when she said youth unemployment is 'not new' and there is 'not much you can change’. (Courier Mail, January 15, 2016)
“Grace Grace has shown she is more interested in meeting with union officials than finding jobs for young Queenslanders.”
Mr Bleijie said it was confirmed today that big businesses like Woolworths and Coles will have access to taxpayer handouts as part of Labor’s package, meaning ordinary Queenslanders will be funding billion dollar corporations.
“Instead of giving taxpayer money to billion dollar corporations, Labor’s priority should be on boosting small businesses and creating opportunities for young Queenslanders right around the state to find pathways to work.
“Not excluding corporations that can easily afford to put on workers without the Government’s help means there will be less money available for small businesses that need help to hire young job seekers.
“In contrast to Labor’s rushed policy, the LNP’s plan to Get Queensland Working will create up to 20,000 jobs by providing businesses with $5000 to encourage them to take on new apprentices, $4000 grants to assist small businesses with recruitment and start-up costs for young Queenslanders.
“It will also include support for up to 20,000 tradies across the state by contributing $500 towards new tools for apprentices upon completion of their training over four years.”
The Palaszczuk Government had been forced to admit that despite the employment of a further 8000 public sector workers since coming to government, standards and services to Queenslanders had declined.
In Estimates Hearings at State Parliament today Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said Annastacia Palaszczuk had been unable to point to any improvement in standards following the hiring of more than 8000 extra public servants in the last 12 months.
“Queenslanders are right to expect this Labor Government should be able to explain improvements in the performance of all its Departments on a regular basis,” Mr Nicholls said.
“In the past, the best explanation Annastacia Palaszczuk could give when she was asked about the benefits to taxpayers from additional public sector workers, she said “the evidence is the families of Queensland, that’s the evidence.”
“In Estimates today, we asked why student learning targets were missed in 14 of the 24 reporting categories that the Education Department reports against, despite the employment of thousands of new staff.
“We asked why performance data from the Communities and Child Safety Department shows response times to investigate suspect abuse in child safety is getting worse with only 22 per cent investigations requiring action within 10 days starting on time.
“We asked why only 62 per cent of calls to the Department of Transport’s call centre were answered within three minutes when the target was 80 per cent.
“These are important questions about services that Queenslanders expect from their State Government, yet the Premier refused to answer in detail.”
Mr Nicholls said it appeared the Palaszczuk Government had only decided to release the latest report detailing public sector numbers after a media report in the Brisbane Times this morning.
“An article highlighting the over 90 reviews this Labor Government had begun in its 16 months in office, and it’s tardiness in releasing performance reports seems to have shamed the Premier into releasing the Queensland Public Sector quarterly workforce profile,” he said.
“Queenslanders want to see results from their State Government, not endless reviews and hidden reports.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s changes to the payroll tax rebate on apprentice and trainee wages is an admission of the policy’s failure, Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said today.
Mr Emerson said a poor take-up rate and dwindling apprentice numbers over the past 12 months under Labor proved the government’s clearly wasn’t working.
“Today’s backflip won’t cover up the fundamental failure of the Palaszczuk Government’s policy over the past 12 months,” he said.
“If you don’t pay any payroll tax, you aren’t eligible for the rebate, which means the policy only applies to the 3 per cent of Queensland businesses that actually pay payroll tax.
“Labor threw $15 million in 2015/16 Financial Year, but only $7 million was actually spent.
“That’s a take-up rate of less than half the money allocated, which shows the Palaszczuk Government is struggling to give the money away.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk and Curtis Pitt should admit failure, scrap the policy, start again and actually consult with peak business bodies about policies that will help their members employ more Queenslanders and more apprentices.”
Mr Emerson said the Palaszczuk Government was scrambling to make it appear that they were doing something about unemployment, but its record spoke for itself.
“Last week’s unemployment figures revealed 36,200 jobs had been lost since January this year and Queensland was the only state last month where trend unemployment increased,” he said.
“What’s more, in the past 12 months Queensland saw 6000 fewer apprenticeships and traineeships completed under Labor.
“Queensland is going backwards under Labor, while other states power ahead.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s latest Cross River failure means the proposed new Albert Street station in the CBD may not have adequate measures in place to cope with flooding.
Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Infrastructure Minister Deb Frecklington said Labor’s secret Cross River Rail business case recognised the Albert Street station site flooded but failed to adequately address the issue.
“This site was half a metre underwater in 2011 and the solution offered by the Palaszczuk Labor Government was to make the entrances smaller and put up some barriers,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Under Labor, this project has become Cross River Fail.
“Not only is this a poor response to making the station immune to flooding, smaller entrances will constrain passengers coming in and out of the station creating commuting chaos.
“When a station site is flood-prone, most people would say the sensible thing would be to move the location – but Labor’s logic doesn’t work like that.
“The LNP moved the proposed station to George Street where it would be out of the flood zone and could service QUT students, visitors to the botanic gardens and the Queen’s Wharf re-development.
“Jackie Trad’s Cross River Rail has been bungle after bungle, perhaps it’s time for Annastacia Palaszczuk to give the project to someone who’s up to the job.”
The lack of flood immunity is the latest issue with Labor’s secret Cross River Rail business case after it was revealed the true cost of the project was closer to $10 billion and the Premier refused to rule out a swag of taxes to pay for it.
Shadow Transport Minister Andrew Powell said ultimately it was commuters who suffered because of Labor’s inability to manage the rail project.
“Commuters want affordable fares, reliable trains and regular services – instead Labor is offering hikes in public transport fares and a new station you’ll have to swim to,” Mr Powell said.
“Labor’s public transport legacy is chaos and failure and unfortunately it’s always passengers who ultimately lose out.”
The Palaszczuk Government has refused to amend its unfair changes to Queensland’s vegetation management framework and looks set to push through with the laws despite a wave of angry objections from regional communities.
Shadow Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps said the Agriculture and Environment Committee report gave Labor an opportunity to abandon its attack on farmers and landowners, but the government had dug its heal in to secure Greens preferences.
“Despite travelling across Queensland and witnessing first-hand the responsible work of landholders, Labor committee members have put politics ahead of good policy outcomes,” Mr Cripps said.
“The committee report recommended the ‘reversal of the onus of proof’ provision be removed, which is a drop in the ocean compared to the damage these laws are set to inflict of the agriculture sector.
“However the committee failed to recommend the equally offensive provisions withdrawing ‘mistake of fact’ as an available defence and the retrospectivity to 17 March 2016 also be removed.
“The Palaszczuk Government is so beholden to the Greens, Labor MPs on the committee ignored all the evidence and instead handed down a series of bland recommendations asking for Ministers to provide further information to the house.”
Mr Cripps said one redeeming feature of the report was the Statement of Reservation lodged by Deputy Chair and Gympie MP Tony Perrett, which highlighted the flaws in Labor’s bill exposed throughout the committee hearing.
“The LNP is working with AgForce Queensland and other rural lobby groups to make it clear to Labor that the former LNP Government’s common-sense changes to the vegetation framework, including high value agriculture permits and managing regrowth, must remain in place,” he said.
Mr Cripps encouraged Queenslanders concerned about the Palaszczuk Government’s proposed laws stand with farmers and support the petition which can be accessed on the Queensland Parliamentary website at:
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/work-of-assembly/petitions/e-petitions
The Palaszczuk Government has been caught out trying a $1 billion con job on Queenslanders with dodgy business case calculations for its controversial Cross River Rail project.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said Annastacia Palaszczuk had already been exposed for planning six new secret taxes to pay for the rail project, and had now been caught out grossly overstating the project’s benefits.
“The Premier and her incompetent Infrastructure Minister Jackie Trad have effectively destroyed the credibility of their Cross River Rail business case by rigging the calculations to hide the need to cut costs by $1 billion,” Mr Nicholls said.
“This is the same old Labor - fiscally incompetent and economically reckless with taxpayers money.
“First they released a five-page report that made no mention of slugging Queenslanders with six secret taxes to pay for Cross River Rail.
“Now they’ve been caught out grossly overstating the benefits of a project that is marginal at best under the standards set by their own experts at Building Queensland.
“Put simply, if this project costs more to build than Labor is telling us then, as always, Queenslanders will end up footing the bill for Labor’s economic incompetence.
“Even public transport advocate group ‘Rail Back on Track’ have admitted the Cross River Rail project has become a train wreck under the Palaszczuk Government and Jackie Trad.”
Deb Frecklington, Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Infrastructure Minister said Annastacia Palaszczuk and Jackie Trad had been telling Queenslanders Cross River Rail would deliver a 1:1.21 cost benefit ratio but that isn’t the case.
“Labor has been saying for every dollar invested in the project, it would generate $1.21 in benefits – but after questions from media, they’re now changing their story,” she said.
“This is a Government that’s making it up as it goes along, and that’s just not good enough when they’re talking about spending almost $10 billion of taxpayers money to build, operate and maintain Cross River Rail.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to come clean with Queenslanders about the costs and benefits of Cross River Rail, instead of conducting an endless con job.”
Around 300 jobs are disappearing with the creation of new power entity Energy Queensland, with the new chair reportedly refusing to say how many of these job losses are voluntary redundancies.
Acting Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said these reports were disturbing considering the Palaszczuk Government promised there would be no forced redundancies as a result of the merger of Ergon and Energex.
“We’ve always known the merger was going to result in job losses, but workers were given the rock-solid commitment there would be no forced redundancies and no forced relocations,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“That’s why it’s concerning to hear radio reports that new Energy Queensland chair Phil Garling won’t clarify how many job losses were voluntary redundancies.
“If workers have been forced to walk away from their jobs as a result of the merger it’s yet another broken promise from the Labor Government and it is imperative the Treasurer and the Energy Minister step up and explain what’s happening.”
Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart said regional communities were concerned local workers might have to relocate as jobs are consolidated.
“The government has previously said as many as 366 jobs will go in areas like administration, legal and corporate services,” Mr Hart said.
“We’ve always feared the job losses would be much higher, and that some workers would have to leave their communities as a result of these changes.
“Mum and dad electrical contractors are also worried because they’re now going to have to compete against a $24 billion government monolith for work.
“This is a huge overhaul of Queensland’s electricity industry and the many people caught up in this change deserve answers from the Labor Government.”
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