The Palaszczuk Labor Government has been caught making a massive cut to Rural Fire Service funding in Queensland.
LNP Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Lachlan Millar said Labor’s response to an Opposition Question on Notice revealed the service’s funding was being cut by $13million this financial year – a 25 per cent reduction of its 2018/19 budget*.
“Labor must explain to rural and regional Queensland communities that have been fighting bushfires why they have slashed funding for Rural Fire Services,” Mr Millar said.
“Given the unprecedented recent fires, you would think it would be time to increase investment in our Rural Fire Services – not slash it by a quarter.
“Labor’s Emergency Services Minister claims to support rural firies when he’s in the regions, but when he gets back to Brisbane he takes an axe to their budget.
“This dangerous cut in Rural Fire Service funding shows that Labor doesn’t care about the regions.
“Labor cut the number of hazard reduction burns and then blamed the bushfires on our farmers.
“Blaming farmers for confusion over backburning while ignoring Labor’s mismanagement of state-controlled land and national parks was a new low.
“Only the LNP will deal with the bushfire threat and ensure our rural firies get the funding they need.”
* See Question on Notice No. 1488: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2019/1488-2019.pdf
