The LNP Opposition said today’s release of official inflation figures had again confirmed Queensland families are being slugged by the Palaszczuk Labor Government every time they go to pay for car registration.
Shadow Transport Minister Andrew Powell said that under Labor Queenslanders always ended up paying more to cover for the government’s total fiscal incompetence.
“For the second year running this Labor government has increased family car rego costs by 3.5% - more than twice the inflation rate,” Mr Powell said.
“Where's Annastacia Palaszczuk’s commitment to the battlers now? Queensland families are struggling to cope with spiraling household costs but she doesn’t care.
“Don’t forget under the Bligh Labor Government we saw car rego costs soar by 30 per cent in their last four years and at the same time public transport fares increased by more than 50 per cent.
“Fast forward a few years and it’s just the same bad old Labor.”
Mr Powell said under the Palaszczuk Government, car registration costs for a four-cylinder vehicle had increased by $20 per year, and for a six-cylinder car by almost $32.
“The LNP froze car registration costs for the three years we were in government and we’ve committed that any future rises are kept in line with CPI – not double the inflation rate like we’ve seen under Labor,” he said.
“Under Annastacia Palaszczuk, state taxes have increased by $59 per Queenslander.
“This desperate Labor Government will look for any opportunity to raise revenue, with car rego now costing more than $300 per year for a four-cylinder car.
“Only an LNP Government has the experience and competence to power up the economy, generate jobs and manage the state’s debt.”
Mark Bailey has added his name to the list of incompetent Palaszczuk Labor Government ministers who have proven unable to manage their portfolios.
Shadow Water Supply Minister Michael Hart said Minister Bailey had finally woken up and realized Queensland was about to miss out on a once-in-a-generation federal government funding offer because of his incompetence.
“This is just another example of the Palaszczuk Labor Government being asleep at the wheel,” Mr Hart said.
“Minister Bailey has been forced into an embarrassing backflip after pressure from the Queensland Opposition and Deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce.
“Almost $20 million was on the table from the Federal Government for dam feasibility studies across the state, but unfortunately Annastacia Palaszczuk and her incompetent Minister weren’t interested.
“They were more interested in political grandstanding than ensuring water security in this state.”
Mr Hart said Queensland was the only mainland state that hadn’t agreed to distribute the Federal Government’s funding for vital water projects.
He said the minister had become as incompetent as his colleague Stirling Hinchliffe who left commuters stranded at stations for the best part of a week.
“As each week rolls, around the Palaszczuk Labor Government sets a new low,” he said.
“Maybe the Minister needs to spend less time trolling on Twitter and start paying more attention to his portfolio responsibilities.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to show some leadership instead of hiding away from scrutiny behind pot plants.
“Unfortunately it is Queenslanders who are paying for the incompetence of her government.”
The LNP Opposition has today called on Annastacia Palaszczuk to sack her incompetent Transport Minister after his abysmal performance amid the ongoing Queensland Rail crisis.
Deputy Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the buck stopped with Minister Hinchliffe who finally emerged this morning in a train-wreck interview, admitting he knew about major staff shortages on Thursday but didn’t do anything about it.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to show some strong leadership and either sack Stirling Hinchliffe or accept his resignation,” Ms Frecklington said.
“As the Minister responsible, he should have been on the front foot talking to Queenslanders, working around the clock to get the matter resolved – instead he was the invisible man.
“It’s extraordinary that Mr Hinchliffe thought it was more appropriate to socialise at the Gold Coast 600 than get to work on behalf of the thousands of south-east Queensland commuters who don’t know if they’ll be getting to work or school on time.”
Ms Frecklington said responsibility for the Queensland Rail crisis lay solely at the feet of the Palaszczuk Labor Government, which had been in power for more than 18 months and had been made aware of issues earlier.
“During this morning’s train-wreck interview, the bungling Minister admitted he had been warned about issues within the system for some time – but he thought they were only short-term,” Ms Frecklington said.
“When asked what had been done to alert commuters to Friday’s cancellation of over 100 train services across south-east Queensland, the Minister simply said warnings had been published on the TransLink website.
“Under the LNP, Queensland had the most reliable train system in the country with a 96 per cent on-time rate – the best record in Queensland Rail history.
“When the LNP opened the Springfield line – a whole new rail service – we didn’t see these kinds of problems. Just like the disastrous health payroll system, Labor simply can’t be trusted to deliver services for Queenslanders.
“It’s no surprise the last time Queensland’s transport system was this bad was when Annastacia Palaszczuk was the Transport Minister and the on-time running rate was as low was 86 per cent.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government has today failed to guarantee Queenslanders that their power bills won’t sky-rocket as a result of her unrealistic push to have 50 per cent of Queensland powered by green energy by 2030.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls said Labor’s “Credible Pathways to a 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target for Queensland – Draft Report” tried to deceive Queenslanders about the true costs of its energy policies.
“The Renewable Energy Taskforce report seeks to justify Labor’s ideological obsession with green energy rather than tell the truth that it will add billions of dollars to Queenslanders power bills,” Mr Nicholls said.
“This flawed report seeks to downplay the true cost to Queenslanders of an over the top renewable energy target that will put Queensland’s energy security at risk and hike up household power costs.
“This report estimates taxpayers will have to pay $900 million in subsidies to bring in green energy, but the Queensland Productivity Commission says the real cost will be a massive $10.8 billion.
“So when Labor says the cost will be “somewhat neutral”, Queenslanders can bet their bottom dollar they will be paying more.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to guarantee Queenslanders their power bills won’t rise as a result of her policies - a promise she won’t make because she knows she can’t keep it.”
Shadow Energy Minister, Michael Hart, said Labor’s green energy targets put thousands of Queensland jobs at risk and jeopardised energy security.
“This report forecasts Queensland’s coal-fired power generators will face a bleak future beyond 2030,” Mr Hart said.
“Labor’s policy will slash billions from the value of Queensland’s government-owned power plants, putting the jobs of their 1165 Queenslanders at risk.
“It also places Queensland’s energy supply at risk from the sort of blanket blackouts experienced in South Australia last week.
“Labor cannot be trusted to keep the lights on or keep power bills down.”
The Palaszczuk Government voted against a motion for Queensland to secure Federal funding for vital water infrastructure, which would boost agricultural production and create jobs across the state.
Shadow Minister for Water Supply Michael Hart said Labor had been offered $19.8 million towards 14 dam feasibility studies to secure Queensland’s water supply, but has failed to take the federal government up on its offer.
“The money is on the table from the Federal Government for these feasibility studies, but unfortunately Annastacia Palaszczuk isn’t interested, and it’s Queenslanders who will suffer,” Mr Hart said.
“Queensland is the only mainland State Government that hasn’t agreed to distribute the Federal Government’s funding for vital water projects.
“Water is essential to Queensland - it’s a necessary part of everyday life for Queensland households, and it’s an integral part of the Queensland economy.
“This do-nothing Palaszczuk Government have been found out for their complete inaction by failing to secure this funding for projects Queensland desperately needs.”
Deputy Leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Deb Frecklington said Queenslanders deserve a Government that will deliver vital infrastructure projects to get our great State moving.
“Labor’s inaction is holding up projects like the Gayndah Regional Irrigation Development in the North Burnett, the Bundaberg Channel Capacity Upgrade, the Urannah Dam and the Rookwood Weir Development Feasibility Studies,” Ms Frecklington said.
“This lack of action is particularly hurting regional Queensland, where many of these vital projects will be built. The people of North and Central Queensland deserve much better than they are getting from this do-nothing Palaszczuk Government.
“Queenslanders feel like they are being left behind and receive nothing more than cheap lip service from the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“Labor need to stop playing politics and get on and distribute the funding for these feasibility studies for much-needed water infrastructure projects.”
Victims of domestic and family violence will be given greater certainty through the court process thanks to changes introduced by the LNP in Parliament today.
Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence Ros Bates said the LNP’s amendment to domestic and family violence legislation delivered greater accountability and certainty for victims around protection orders.
“Our amendment will deliver confidence in the court process for victims of domestic and family violence, by ensuring they are afforded a greater understanding of decisions made by the courts,” Ms Bates said.
“The LNP’s amendment ensures our courts explain their reasons when they decide to make a protection order that is less than five years.
“This change is in line with existing requirements on our courts when considering ‘ouster’ conditions as part of a protection order.
“I want to especially thank the Women’s Legal Service Queensland and the Community Legal Centres Queensland for their strong advocacy on this issue.
“The LNP’s amendment forms part of a broad suite of changes to the Domestic and Family Violence Protection and Other Legislation Amendment Bill which was debated and passed in Parliament today.”
Ms Bates said many of the reforms in the final Bill originated from recommendations handed down by the Special Taskforce on Domestic and Family Violence in Queensland, established by the previous LNP Government.
One long, tragic year after being warned by her Director General that her Department was failing to adequately protect Queensland children, embattled Palaszczuk Government Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman has finally been forced to provide extra resources to child safety services.
Shadow Child Safety Minister Ros Bates said today’s announcement was too little, too late for five young Queenslanders that have died in care under the Minister’s watch.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk and Shannon Fentiman have been dragged kicking and screaming into finally admitting there are deep problems within our child safety system,” Ms Bates said.
“The LNP has been saying our children are in danger, her own Director General warned her in October 2015 that hard-working frontline staff were dangerously stretched, but this Minister didn’t act.
“Shannon Fentiman knew 12 months ago that her officers weren't able to get to kids in danger but did nothing, and in that time five young lives have been lost on her watch.
“Why has it taken a year for her to do something, when every day and second counts for a child in danger?
“It’s simply not good enough for her to try to play catch up with children’s lives.”
Ms Bates said in the first 18 months in government, Labor had ripped over $7 million from frontline child safety offices statewide and left 20 frontline child safety officer positions vacant.
“After doing nothing for 18 months except cutting money from the frontline, this desperate Minister is now resorting to peddling lies about the former government,” she said.
“The LNP employed 77 new frontline child safety officers, committed $406 million to implement the recommendations of the landmark Queensland Child Protection Commission of Inquiry (Carmody Review) and left a $20 million contingency fund in Treasury to ensure Queensland children were protected.
“Fentiman is a fraud and a phoney and must go.”
The Palaszczuk Government has ramped up its political retribution against Queensland farmers by interfering in the assessment process for High Value Agriculture applications to ensure they are not approved.
Shadow Natural Resources Minister, Andrew Cripps, said Deputy Premier, Jackie Trad and Environment Minister, Steven Miles were spearheading Labor's vindictive rearguard action to deny the agriculture sector legitimate opportunities to grow.
“As part of its 2013 reforms, the LNP introduced a permit for High Value Agriculture which encouraged new agricultural areas to be created in Queensland to boost production and grow jobs in regional Queensland,” Mr Cripps said.
“The far lefties in Labor like Trad and Miles were determined to scrap our laws but failed spectacularly when their changes were voted down by Queensland Parliament.
"I’m not surprised to learn that applications for new high value agriculture (HVA) projects are now grinding to a halt, given Labor's open hostility towards the policy.”
Mr Cripps said Labor’s 2015 election win prompted a dramatic fall in HVA applications and changes to administrative guidelines which prevented projects from being approved.
"Public servants involved with HVA applications were told to put their pencils down on the day the new Labor Ministers walked through the doors and there has been a general ‘go-slow’ order in place ever since,” he said.
"The Palaszczuk Government has set the bar so high that virtually no HVA project will be able to get an approval while ever Labor remains in office.
“Labor's interference in the HVA assessment process is evident from a sharp decline in approvals in 2015 and virtually no approvals this year - despite Labor's proposed changes being rejected by Parliament.
"There’s no doubt in my mind that these figures will be masking a large number of applications in limbo, waiting for a decision. I’m also aware of a number of cases where farmers have had their applications flatly refused and lodgment fees refunded.
"Jackie Trad and Steven Miles need to butt out of the assessment process for High Value Agriculture and let the democratic decision of the Queensland Parliament stand.”
The risk of the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s unprecedented $4b raid on public servants’ superannuation has been highlighted with the Queensland Treasury Corporation (QTC) revealing its long term assets fell more than $900 million below required returns.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said QTC’s annual report showed that while it was required to provide the State Government with $2.2b to help fund the superannuation scheme, it would only return $1.3 billion with QTC describing the $900m gap as a "loss".
"When QTC is already falling $900m short of what is required in returns and branding it a loss, ‘Captain Risky’ Curtis Pitt's solution is strip even more assets from QTC in an unprecedented $4b raid," Mr Emerson said.
“This again highlights the short-sightedness and foolishness of the Labor Treasurer's unprecedented raid on public servants’ super to cover his budget black hole.
“At a time when these assets aren’t meeting identified rates of return Mr Pitt has done a smash and grab on them, not caring about the consequences.
“It also comes after Mr Pitt raided $3.4 billion from the Long Service Leave funding pool in his first State Budget, another move highlighted in QTC’s annual report.”
Mr Emerson said the Treasurer had already ignored the recommendation of the independent State Actuary, leaving the super fund at a heightened risk of going into deficit.
“The State Actuary has said Mr Pitt’s $4 billion raid would mean a 50-50 chance of the fund going into deficit, on an accounting basis,” he said.
“We also know from the Actuary’s testimony in Estimates this year that the fund did not meet the returns on which he based his calculations in 2015-16.
“It’s alarming and concerning the Palaszczuk Labor Government is ignoring all of the warning signs and playing Russian Roulette with public servants’ super.”
The Palaszczuk Government is heading towards another ‘cross river ‘fail’ by missing the first key deadline for its supposed priority infrastructure project.
Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Infrastructure Minister Deb Frecklington said Labor’s failure to establish a delivery authority by the target date has raised questions over their commitment to deliver Labor’s ‘biggest infrastructure priority’.
“Labor’s own secret business case for Cross River Rail lays out a timeline that recommends the delivery authority to be established by October 2016,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Considering the minority Palaszczuk Government need to pass legislation through Parliament before this authority can be set up, it raises serious doubt over Labor’s promise to build Cross River Rail.
“What’s caused the delay? Maybe ‘not happy Jackie’ can’t get the legislation through Labor’s divided Cabinet after taking control over from Transport Minister and faction rival Stirling Hinchliffe.”
Ms Frecklington said Labor has set Cross River Rail on a path to derail following a series of fails, which has put a cloud over the future over the project.
“The Palaszczuk Government has bungled Cross River Rail from the start by picking fights with different the Federal Government and Brisbane City Council over funding, while keeping the door open for $5 Billion worth of secret taxes,” she said.
“How will this Government deliver the infrastructure Queensland needs when they can’t even get the pre-construction basics right?”
“Labor always wants to make Queenslanders pay for its fiscal incompetence and we’re seeing again with Cross River Rail.
“Labor’s public transport legacy is chaos and failure and unfortunately it’s always Queensland commuters who ultimately lose out.
“Under Labor, this project has become Cross River Fail.”
Labor’s Cross River Fails:
- Six secret taxes proposed to fill Labor’s funding black hole.
- Trains and other project costs not included in business case affordability assessment
- Business case not publicly released
- Publicly released benefit-cost ratio didn't factor in the European train control system so benefits of project were significantly over stated
- Inability to agree to funding arrangements with Federal Government or Brisbane City Council
- Albert Street station subject to potential flooding
- Actual project costs exceed $15 billion not the $5.4 billion quoted by 'not happy Jackie'
Queenslanders are once again facing higher costs under Labor, with a new property investment tax and levy tagged on to car registration both set to apply from today.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said Queenslanders were once again waking up to the fact that taxes and charges were on the rise under Labor.
"This is a government that promised no new taxes, then slugged a new job-destroying foreign investment tax on Queensland's property sector," Mr Emerson said.
"Treasurer Curtis Pitt's broken tax promise has shattered confidence in the property industry, which employs around 240,000 Queenslanders.
"This tax will add almost $11,000 to an investment property valued just above $350,000 and this will undoubtedly hurt activity and stall investment.
"As Property Council Queensland's executive director Chris Mountford said, 'this is a tax that puts real jobs - like plumbers, plasterers and electricians - at risk'."
Mr Emerson said Queensland motorists would also notice a new levy as part of their car registration bills, which will go towards paying for the National Injury Insurance Scheme (NIIS) in Queensland.
"While the LNP supports the NIIS, Labor opted to introduce the most expensive model - leaving Queenslanders with higher bills and blatantly ignoring the advice from the overwhelming majority of stakeholders," he said.
"This is a government that has increased car rego costs at twice the inflation rate, and has now opted for the most expensive levy to pay for the NIIS.
"Instead of adopting the LNP's model which would have cost just $24 a year (on average) for this important reform, the Palaszczuk Government picked a model which favoured lawyers - making it more expensive for motorists.
"This is further proof the Palaszczuk Government is out of touch, it can't manage a budget and isn't up to the job of managing the Queensland economy."
