The Federal Court has ruled the 2011 live export ban, which was wholly supported by Labor Agriculture Minister Mark Furner when he as a Senator, was unlawful.
The class action also found then Labor Federal Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig’s conduct amounted to misfeasance.
Justice Rares described the Federal Labor Government’s ban order that Mr Furner backed as “invalid”, “capricious” and “unreasonable” while ordering damages to be paid to impacted farmers.
Liberal National Party Shadow Minister for Agriculture Tony Perrett said it was unacceptable that the Minister charged with looking after Queensland farmers had supported the disastrous 2011 live export ban.
“Queensland farmers will never forget how Labor Minister Furner sat in the Senate and voted to destroy the livelihoods of thousands of farmers,” Mr Perrett said.
“Labor’s live export ban cost jobs, destroyed lives and devastated communities.
“It was not only unethical, but completely illegal – and Labor’s Mark Furner was complicit.
“Mark Furner is clearly no friend of the farmer and his position as the Agriculture Minister of this state in untenable.
“Minister Furner must apologise to farmers and then resign over his role in the one of the darkest chapters in the Queensland cattle industry.
“It’s well known Federal Labor went into the last election promising to ban live sheep exports and at the 2018 Queensland Labor Party Conference a motion was put to transition away from all live exports by 2030.
“Queensland farmers have zero faith in Labor when it comes to supporting the all-important live export industry.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is anti-farmer, anti-regions and cannot be trusted.
“Only the Liberal National Party supports Queensland’s world class job-creating livestock export industry.”
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk must take responsibility for the systemic and shocking failure of Queensland’s child protection system revealed in today’s Coroner’s report into the death of toddler Mason Jett Lee.
LNP Shadow Health Minister and Act for Mason patron Ros Bates said the Palaszczuk Labor Government could not be allowed to pass the buck to individuals within the Department of Child Safety.
“The system should have saved Mason Jett Lee, but instead it left him to be killed by a monster,” Ms Bates said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government should be ashamed of its failure to protect Mason and all the kids who have died needlessly in the last five years.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk must take personal responsibility for once.
“The buck stops with the Premier.
“The child protection system is broken from the top down.
“Labor has shown time and again that it is incapable of fixing the system. We are seeing more disturbing cases all the time.
“We need a new government to fix this mess and properly protect vulnerable kids.”
LNP Shadow Child Safety Minister Stephen Bennett said the Coroner’s report had condemned the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s failure to implement key recommendations from the 2013 Carmody Commission of Inquiry.
“We need an overhaul of our child protection system, but Labor has shown it is incapable of delivering it,” Mr Bennett said.
“Adoption should be considered for poor kids like Mason Jett Lee. Our system should make protecting vulnerable kids its top priority.
“Sadly, Labor is more interested in protecting themselves than protecting vulnerable kids.”
Labor’s latest procurement policy announcement proves the Palaszczuk Government has been misleading the public about its support for local jobs for the past three years.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said no one should believe Labor’s pledge to back Queensland’s local businesses and workers following years of controversial contract decisions which have cost jobs in communities across the state.
“Labor’s repeated pledges to ‘Buy Queensland’ were false,” Ms Frecklington.
“Labor have duped Queenslanders on this issue so many times that no one can believe them.
“This is simply more spin from a State Government that cares more about creating headlines than creating jobs for everyday Queenslanders. No one’s buying Labor’s spin anymore.
“The LNP committed to a small business procurement target months ago. Labor has been too slow to act and given their track record, no one believes them.
“Just today it was revealed, the Palaszczuk government couldn’t even meet their current 30 days terms with a $170 million blowout for 1400 small businesses in Queensland health alone in the last three months of last year.
“One business alone was owed almost a million dollars, proving Labor simply can’t be trusted.
“An LNP Government will always make sure that local businesses get their fair share of State Government contracts,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Only the LNP will protect local jobs and back small business.”
QON: https://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/documents/tableOffice/questionsAnswers/2020/376-2020.pdf
The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s decision to cancel its 2020 Budget will delay road infrastructure projects and destroy jobs, the LNP said today.
Shadow Transport Minister Steve Minnikin said Labor’s refusal to present a State Budget will throw the Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) into chaos.
“Labor has cancelled the Budget because it wants to dodge scrutiny before the next state election,” Mr Minnikin said.
“Labor’s refusal to present a Budget is bad for democracy and it will be dire for Queensland’s roads program too.
“The Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program (QTRIP) cannot continue indefinitely without a Budget.
“Contractors will not consider projects which are unfunded and the Commonwealth will not provide co-funding without State Budget approval.
“We have Budgets for a reason. Governments cannot function without them.
“Labor’s arrogant and unjustified decision to cancel the Budget will cause chaos for contractors, lead to road projects being delayed and will worsen congestion.
“Most damagingly of all, cancelling the Budget will also cost jobs.
“Labor has no plan and no Budget for Queensland, right in the middle of a jobs crisis.”
As well as delaying road upgrades, Mr Minnikin said the disruption to QTRIP would cause the state’s huge road maintenance backlog to increase further. More than $5.4 billion of road maintenance work is now overdue in Queensland, including:
The Palaszczuk Labor Government is the only state or territory government in Australia to cancel its State Budget in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Federal Government is also committed to presenting a Budget this year.
“Labor has made major cuts to road investment and now that limited investment is at risk too,” Mr Minnikin said.
“Congestion is getting worse because Labor has refused to invest in our roads.
“Queensland needs a four-year plan to invest in new roads and upgrades across the state.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government must hold a Budget and come clean with Queenslanders about our state’s financial situation.
“It is damaging for Labor to have No Budget and no plan and Queensland.
“Unlike Labor, the LNP has a plan to build a stronger economy.
“We will build new roads and dams across Queensland – including the visionary New Bradfield Scheme.
“Only the LNP has an economic plan to get Queensland working again.”
Every day that the Palaszczuk Labor Government delays the north Queensland travel ‘bubble’ is closing businesses and costing jobs, the LNP said today.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said the Premier must immediately focus her attention on rescuing the region’s devastated tourism industry.
“Every day that Annastacia Palaszczuk delays a decision on a North Queensland travel bubble is closing businesses and costing jobs,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk needs to stop dithering and start listening to regional Queensland.
“The Premier’s refusal to ease restrictions in the ‘bubble’ has turned this health crisis into a jobs crisis.
“Tourism operators are approaching the point of no return and they need action immediately.
“The reports of the scale of job losses in Cairns and other tourist centres are alarming.
“Thousands of workers and small business owners have already lost their livelihoods and many more will follow them if Annastacia Palaszczuk fails to act.
“The plan put forward by tourism bodies is sensible, safe and it will save jobs.
“My message to the Premier is simple.
“Stop wasting time and start saving jobs.”
Frustrations have boiled over among racing participants, with the LNP slamming the Palaszczuk Labor Government and Queensland Racing Integrity Commission for failing to deliver integrity and confidence in the industry.
LNP Shadow Minister for Racing John-Paul Langbroek said the growing group of racing participants who have indicated that they have no confidence in Labor’s Queensland Racing Integrity Commission is a tell-tale sign that the QRIC experiment is failing in its core responsibility.
“Justice must be done and it must be seen to be done,” Mr Langbroek said.
“The racing community is at the end of their tether with Labor and QRIC’s lack of action when it comes to integrity concerns, especially with regard to doping.
“The Commissioner’s comments in a Racenet article shows a dismissive attitude towards the complaints made by trainers.
“This doesn’t inspire confidence in QRIC’s willingness to improve standards in this important industry.
“A failure of QRIC is a failure of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.”
Mr Langbroek said Labor’s approach to racing is destroying confidence in, and the reputation of, the racing industry in Queensland.
“Labor’s hands-off approach to racing has resulted in serious issues being handballed to QRIC,” he said.
“Under Labor, QRIC has even been tasked with overseeing the inquiry into their own failure to address animal welfare issues within the industry. It’s another case of Caesar judging Caesar.
“Labor’s unique model costs in excess of $30 million per year doesn’t have the support of licencees, many of whom are fearful of retribution.
“Now is the time for action to improve integrity in an industry that contributes $1.2 billion to our economy.
“The only sure bet is that the LNP is the only party with the drive to improve integrity in the racing industry.”
