Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington has challenged the Premier in Parliament today about redundancies at the Tarong Power Station.
Mrs Frecklington said Stanwell had commenced cutting positions at the Tarong Power Station and in Rockhampton and this deserved an explanation from the Labor Government, given they promised the people of Queensland that no jobs would be lost in Government businesses.
“When I asked the Premier about these redundancies, she refused to answer why her government is putting people out of work,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The Premier knows that her government’s reckless rush to 50% renewable energy will cost Queensland jobs and boost Queenslanders power bills – but she won’t come clean with the people of Queensland.”
Mrs Frecklington said the release yesterday of Labor’s ‘Credible Pathways to a 50 per cent Renewable Energy Target for Queensland – Draft Report’ was very worrying for the people of South Burnett as itincludes an option to close one of Queensland’s coal fired power stations.
“With the release of this report, it is even more concerning the whole Tarong Power Station may close and I believe our community deserves to know if this is the case, and how the transition is going to be made.
“Our region is particularly sensitive to this flawed policy, with so many people in the South Burnett reliant on the jobs and benefits which flow from the Tarong Power Station and Meandu Mine.
“The Queensland Productivity Commission say the real cost of this excessive 50 per cent renewable target will be nearly $11billion in costs to Queenslanders who will have to subsidise this plan.”
Hansard Transcript
Questions Without Notice 13 Oct 2016
Energy Industry, Jobs
Mrs FRECKLINGTON: My question is to the Premier. I refer the Premier to the fact that the Minister for Energy said on 7 May 2015—
I regard all of our staff in the public sector as front-line staff. We will defend them.
Given the Premier’s commitment that no jobs will be lost in government businesses, can the Premier explain why she is again failing to honour Labor’s pre-election commitments considering that Stanwell Corporation has commenced the first round of redundancies across power stations in Rockhampton and in my electorate of Nanango?
Ms PALASZCZUK: I thank the member for the question. Let me be very frank here. We value our staff who work in the industry, unlike those opposite. They have—
An honourable member interjected.
Ms PALASZCZUK: I take that interjection. They have no credibility when it comes to talking about jobs. The biggest risk to the Queensland economy is the Leader of the Opposition, because when they were in government they put out their plan to sell $37 billion of electricity generation and our ports, and what did they call it? The ‘no asset sales’ document. The biggest risk to the Queensland economy is those opposite because they still will not state for the people of Queensland whether or not they will keep the electricity assets—
Mr SPEAKER: Premier, I am keen that you do not debate—
Ms PALASZCZUK: I am just finishing—on whether or not they will—
Honourable members interjected.
Mr Cripps interjected.
Mr SPEAKER: Thank you, members. I do not need your assistance, member for Hinchinbrook. One moment, Premier. I am keen that you do not debate the question with the Leader of the Opposition and that your answer is relevant to the question as asked.
Ms PALASZCZUK: Who could forget the Leader of the Opposition when in government saying that he wanted to ‘right size’ the Public Service? We all know what ‘right sizing the Public Service’ means. That means sacking people. Today members opposite have the prime opportunity to back in the government’s renewable energy targets because that means jobs for regional Queensland. They are anti Queensland and anti jobs.
