A Tim Nicholls-led LNP government has committed to renew all existing category H gun licences for South Burnett primary producers.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington said the LNP would also ensure that all new applicants for category H licences were assessed fairly and in a timely manner.
“The LNP will give farmers a fair go and not treat them like criminals,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor have treated law-abiding farmers worse than criminal gang members.
“I have spoken to many primary producers from the South Burnett who have held a Category H Licence for years, but have it revoked when it was time for renewal. There have also been many examples of new Category H Licence applications being refused.
“The LNP’s Policy is part of our New Deal to build a better future for regional Queensland, because we understand the challenges in our local community.
“Unlike Labor, we have listened to the concerns of our farmers who need hand guns for the safe management of their farms and properties.”
Mrs Frecklington said under the LNP’s Fairer Gun Laws policy, primary producers who currently hold a Category H licence (hand gun) would have their licence renewed while ever they met the “fit and proper person test” – as per the current law.
“All new applicants will be treated fairly and have their applications assessed in a timely fashion – ending the lengthy delays and uncertainty for farmers under Annastacia Palaszczuk,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“Labor has been caught out running a deliberate policy of restricting licence renewals which has taken away a vital tool of trade.
“While Labor delights in painting these people as lone cowboys, the LNP understands the safety issues of not having to carry a rifle on a motorbike or quad bike.
“We will also restore proper consultation, ensure government policy is based on evidence and expert advice, increase penalties for gun crime and implement real-time background checks.
“These are common sense reforms that put community safety first.”
To learn more about Our Plan visit www.betterqueensland.org.au
One of Queensland’s largest peak agriculture industry groups has strongly endorsed the current vegetation management framework put in place by the former LNP Government in 2013.
Shadow Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps welcomed the clear statement of support by AgForce for the LNP’s 2013 vegetation management reforms, ahead of the next state election.
Mr Cripps said he worked closely with AgForce during the successful 2016 campaign to defend the LNP’s vegetation management reforms from being overturned by Labor and the Greens.
“The LNP believes AgForce’s proposals for more area management plans based on different bioregions and clearer assessment processes for high value agriculture projects have merit, and we stand ready to discuss further details with them,” Mr Cripps said.
“We are also prepared to discuss a staged approach for large greenfield projects with a high value agriculture approval, without compromising the security of that project approval.
“These are sensible proposals which seek to use existing vegetation management laws to deliver opportunities for farmers and landholders to grow Queensland’s agriculture sector.
“In addition, AgForce has proposed an ongoing partnership to provide knowledge and information to farmers and landholders about their rights and responsibilities, which makes sense to me.”
Mr Cripps said he was pleased to see AgForce support all of the key aspects of the LNP’s 2013 vegetation management reforms, which established a sensible and balanced policy framework.
“It’s clear AgForce endorses our expanded use of self-assessable codes, agrees with our approach to managing regrowth and supports the issuing of high value agriculture permits,” he said.
“It’s also clear that AgForce doesn’t want to go back to the bad old days under Labor and the Greens, when farmers and landholders were treated worse than criminals under the law.
“Regional and rural Queenslanders need to understand that the Palaszczuk Government has made it clear that they will take all of these rights away if Labor wins the next state election.
“The only way to protect these hard won, practical and common sense changes to the vegetation management framework, is to ensure that a majority LNP Government is elected.”
LNP’s ‘Buy Local’ to produce more local jobsLNP’s ‘Buy Local’ gives true local businesses a real hand up to create more local jobsAnnastacia Palaszczuk and Labor are all talk and no action when it comes to ‘Buy Local’
A future Tim Nicholls-led Liberal National Party Government will introduce a “Buy Local”
government procurement policy which puts Queensland jobs, businesses and taxpayers first.
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington said Buy Local would not only prioritise local jobs but give hard working Queensland taxpayers best bang for buck.
“I want to see more local jobs and our policy will deliver. Buy Local will give local businesses a real hand up, not a hand out, to create more local jobs,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The LNP’s ‘Buy Local’ policy puts Queensland jobs and Queenslanders first.
“On Government projects under $100 million, whether that’s desks for a school or building a new road, we will give only true Queensland firms a price match guarantee.
“If a local business that’s headquartered in Queensland and has a workforce in the project area matches the lowest bid - they’ll get the job.
“Buy Local covers 99 percent of local businesses in Queensland. These are small to medium
enterprises employing less than 200 staff. It really is about creating more local jobs.
“That’s the LNP’s Buy Local attitude - putting Queensland jobs, businesses and taxpayers first.”
Mrs Frecklington said the policy differences between the LNP and Labor could not be clearer – we are for local jobs.
“Unlike Annastacia Palaszczuk’s inexperienced and unworkable ‘Buy Queensland’ policy, we won’t allow blow-ins from interstate and overseas to take advantage by simply having a workforce in Queensland,” Deb said.
“Labor’s inept policy also jeopardises the jobs of thousands of Queenslanders who rely on our $68 billion trade industry - and could potentially cost taxpayers millions.
“The LNP won’t stand by and watch Queenslanders jobs be put in danger by an inexperienced
Annastacia Palaszczuk. Her thought bubble doesn’t favour Queensland firms, taxpayers or create jobs, in fact it puts them at risk.”
To learn more about Our Plan visit betterqueensland.org.au/buylocal
Photo: The LNP Buy Local Policy will help local regional suppliers
The LNP is leading the way on tackling record high energy prices in Queensland - joining forces with farmers and industry in Bundaberg today for the inaugural meeting of its renewed Agriculture Energy and Water Council.
LNP Leader Tim Nicholls said farmers could not grow their businesses or plan for the future weighed down by the Palaszczuk Government’s crippling power prices.
“Farmers are facing astronomical electricity price rises due to poor policy decisions by this do-nothing Labor Government,” Mr Nicholls said.
“This year alone electricity prices on farm and irrigation tariffs are increasing by up to 5.1 percent, which is almost triple the rate of inflation.
“It isn’t good enough, and it’s why the LNP is re-establishing the Agriculture Energy and Water Council.
“Today’s Council brings farm leaders and Shadow Ministers to the table to tackle critical issues such as tariff reform and spiralling prices.
“The LNP first set up the Council in late 2014 as many farmers faced the prospect of electricity prices doubling in 2020 when the obsolete tariffs ended.
“Labor axed the Council when it came to Government but we’re bringing it back bigger and better.”
LNP Shadow Minister for Energy Michael Hart and chair of the Council meeting said it was disgraceful Labor’s former energy minister had recently blamed farmers for higher electricity prices.
“Labor policy such as loading almost $5 billion of debt onto power companies has meant Queenslanders are paying more than ever to keep the lights on and the irrigation pumps going,” Mr Hart said.
“In contrast, we have started working now with stakeholder groups such as the Queensland Farmers’ Federation, AgForce, Canegrowers, so that if we are elected we can hit the ground running.
“The agricultural industry can’t face electricity price increases of 50 to 100 per cent all by itself. The LNP will listen, plan and act on electricity prices.”
LNP Shadow Agriculture Minister Dale Last said one of the first things Labor did was to scrap our Agriculture Energy Council.
“Because of Labor’s inaction, tariff reform has stalled and nearly three years has been wasted,” Mr Last said.
“If we can sort out electricity and water then we can ensure every farming family has a future.”
The purpose of the Agriculture Energy and Water Council is to:
Member for Nanango, Deb Frecklington has announced the successful applicants in the third round of her ‘Local Hero’ Grant program.
Mrs Frecklington said there had been some great entries and thanked everyone who had applied.
“I would like to pass on my personal congratulations to the groups and individuals who will receive one of my Local Hero grants and these include the Kingaroy SES, the Crows Nest Girls Brigade, Luke Beutel of Blackbutt and Amanda Mills of Kilcoy,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“The grants will assist both Luke and Amanda to attend sporting events during September. Luke is heading off to the Soccer National Youth Championships in Coffs Harbour and Amanda will represent Queensland in the National Mounted Games in Toowoomba.
“The Kingaroy SES will put their funds towards the purchase of a new banner and the Crows Nest Girls Brigade are buying their members new bucket hats.
“These are small, but meaningful grants designed to recognise and reward our quiet achievers," Deb said.
Round 4 of Deb’s Local Hero Grants will close on 30 November to be announced before Christmas. Head to Deb’s website at https://debfrecklington.com.au/content/32/debs-local-hero-grants for details of how to apply.
Deputy LNP Leader and Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington says Annastacia Palaszczuk better not come to Nanango empty-handed on her fly-in, fly-out visit.
“It’s taken this Premier nearly three years to find Kingaroy on the map and a whistle-stop tour won’t make the people of Nanango forget Labor has done nothing for three years,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk better bring her cheque book and scratch out a re-building grant or payroll tax relief for local pork processing plant Swickers.
“It’s the least Labor can do for this major regional employer and it’s something I have been fighting for since fire devastated the plant last November.
“After the fire, Swickers kept all their employees on the books while they rebuilt the factory and it’s not fair that they should have to fork out for payroll tax on these wages.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk also needs to provide some relief for families and farmers from record high electricity prices.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has offered taxpayer-funded, cut-price electricity for people in south-east Queensland where she needs the votes but nothing for families and farmers in the regions.
“My community survey work shows 65 per cent of locals have had to cut items from their weekly budget just to pay their bills and 81 per cent feel like the cost of living has increased beyond wage growth in the past five years – that’s a terrible squeeze on family budgets.
“Under Annastacia Palaszczuk, electricity prices have hit record highs and car registration has increased by $50 in just two years.
“Enough is enough. Families and farmers are paying too much and Labor doesn’t have a plan to ease the cost of living.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk should commit today to adopt the LNP’s policy to freeze rego for the family car, freeze energy company executive bonuses until electricity prices decrease and re-establish the LNP’s Agriculture Energy and Water Council to work with farmers to tackle rising electricity prices.”
A future Tim Nicholls-led Liberal National Party Government will investigate alternative routes for our major arterial roads such as the Ipswich Motorway, M1, Centenary Highway and Bruce Highway.
LNP Leader Tim Nicholls said real solutions were needed to address growing congestion issues in the Southeast.
“With congestion worsening on our major highways and the train system unreliable due to Labor’s rail fail, we need to begin planning new major transport routes,” Mr Nicholls said.
“I know the frustration Queenslanders feel when they are sitting in traffic– not able to get to work on time or home early to be with their families.
“This is why if elected, an LNP Government will plan for the future by looking at alternative routes to the major thoroughfares.
“We will undertake a stocktake study of existing transport corridors to see if these are still viable as alternative routes.
“An LNP Government will work in consultation with local authorities and communities to determine the feasibility of these routes.
“I am determined to lead a Government that plans for the future growth of south-east Queensland as well as building the infrastructure we so desperately need.”
LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow Infrastructure Minister Deb Frecklington said with alternative major road links, Queenslanders would be able to get home safer and sooner.
“We need to start this long-term planning now to support the growth of our region – it’s clear that the single routes to the Sunshine and Gold Coasts are reaching breaking point,” Ms Frecklington said.
“You can’t keep adding lanes to the Bruce Highway and M1, hoping this solves the issue.
“We need real solutions to real problems – and that’s why we are fighting for a second M1.
“This is about creating certainty for Queenslanders and planning for the future.
“Only the LNP will build the roads, bridges and dams Queensland needs.”
Mr Nicholls said proposed new routes should be staged, to allow capacity increases to be gradually rolled out in line with growth and need.
“We know the Bruce and M1 are reaching capacity, so it is vital we build more road infrastructure in the next term of government to cope,” Mr Nicholls said.
“By planning for the future, we will ensure these routes are in line with proposed future development and do not impact on existing conservation corridors.
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington says a visit to Kingaroy by Ros Bates, Shadow Minister for Communities, Child Safety, Prevention of Domestic Violence, Disability Services and Seniors on Monday 11th September was an important way to highlight social issues in the South Burnett.
Mrs Frecklington said Ms Bates visited service providers in Kingaroy to hear first-hand how issues such as domestic violence and child safety are affecting our community.
“It was great to introduce Ros to our hard-working welfare groups and give them the opportunity to share their experiences and knowledge,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“I know Ros is very interested in hearing what we need in the South Burnett to help this sector and the role they play in helping children, victims of domestic violence and people with disabilities.
“Following some meetings and sessions with local providers, I also hosted a lunch event in Kingaroy for people who work in the communities sector to catch-up with Ros and share their ideas and experiences,” Deb said.
Ms Bates visit to Kingaroy comes in the wake of Labor’s release, months late, of three reviews into the Child Safety, Foster Care and Blue Card systems.
“Following the tragic deaths of Mason Jett Lee, Tialeigh Palmer, Maddilyn-Rose Stokes and other Queensland children in care, Queenslanders deserve to know what’s going wrong in our child safety system,” Ms Bates said.
“Instead, Labor sits on these reports for months and then releases three in one day to avoid proper scrutiny of the life and death issues they have investigated.
“I’m keen to discuss this with the people in Kingaroy who work at the coal-face. Every second counts when kids in abusive homes or foster care are in danger and this government just keeps on reviewing rather than doing.
“Queenslanders deserve better than Labor’s cover-ups and crises in child safety.”
Annastacia Palaszczuk has shown yet again that she has no record to run on – instead reheating a tired and negative scare campaign.
LNP Leader Tim Nicholls said Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor were clearly more focused on scaremongering than delivering for the people of Queensland.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has cut $3 billion a year from the state’s infrastructure budget, costing Queenslanders 10,000 jobs a year,” Mr Nicholls said.
“Services in Queensland are worse under Labor, with constant rail fails, a tragic child safety crisis, ambulance ramping back in regional Queensland, electricity prices at record highs, violent crime up and Queensland hospital budgets in the red.
“Under Labor, youth unemployment in some parts of Queensland is over 50 per cent, meaning half of these young Queenslanders who want a job can’t get one.
“Queensland is stagnating under this do-nothing Labor Government and Queenslanders want answers – not cheap and nasty scaremongering.”
Mr Nicholls said while in Government, the LNP delivered record investment in health and education.
“Under the LNP, health investment increased by $2 billion and spending on education increased by $3 billion,” Mr Nicholls said.
“We also supported the work Downer was doing in Maryborough to build QR’s new long-distance travel trains and refurbish the existing Sunlander fleet, and we expanded that program.
“Our $200 million Sunlander program was bolstered with the LNP adding two additional locomotives to the project.
“We made targeted health investments aimed at getting better outcomes, which resulted in better surgical wait times, put on 1,000 more train services that ran on time and brought crime rates down across the board.”
Mr Nicholls said Annastacia Palaszczuk’s record in Wide Bay was dismal, cutting $400 million from infrastructure and $84 million from roads.
“Tragically under Labor, almost half of all people in Wide Bay Burnett are not working and last year 1,000 young people in Wide Bay lost their jobs,” Mr Nicholls said.
“Wide Bay has the highest unemployment rate in Australia and the lowest disposable income per person.
“People in Wide Bay are worse off because of Annastacia Palaszczuk.”
Mr Nicholls again ruled out forced redundancies under a Government he leads.
“Building a Better Queensland means delivering outcomes, not outputs, for the people of Queensland,” Mr Nicholls said.
“To do that, we need all hands on deck.
“We will focus on a public service of excellence, one measured by outcomes and service delivery – not volumes of paperwork and mind-numbing, restrictive processes.”
When in government the LNP delivered:
Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington says the environment is the real winner with the passing of legislation in State Parliament this week to ban single use plastic bags and introduce a container deposit scheme.
Mrs Frecklington said the LNP lead the way by introducing the policies in June 2016, with the Labor Government and major supermarkets adopting them at a later stage.
“I am proud to have supported the passing of this legislation in State Parliament to help reduce litter and clean up our environment across Queensland,” Mrs Frecklington said.
“We welcome the Labor Government following our lead. This brings us into line with other states around Australia which already have plastic bag bans and deposit schemes in place.
“Overwhelmingly consumers wanted this change. It will also provide great opportunities for community groups and social enterprise organisations to benefit from recycling efforts.
“The Container Deposit Scheme will be a great way for groups to fundraise. It’s estimated groups around Queensland could claim over $25million from deposits under this scheme.
“I can remember when I was a kid spending time collecting aluminium cans with my friends and family to help local community groups.
“For country regions like ours where it can be really hard for groups to fundraise, this is an excellent new opportunity.
“This is another example of the LNP delivering real results from Opposition,” Deb said.
