The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s dud budget isn’t the only bad news for Queenslanders this week, with new figures today revealing unemployment has gone up.
LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander said Queensland still has one of the worst unemployment rates in the country and is well above the national figure of 5.2%.
“Queensland’s unemployment rate is 6.2% seasonally adjusted, which is Labor’s preferred measure,” Mr Mander said.
“10,500 people have been added to Queensland’s unemployment queue in just one month.
“These latest figures don’t surprise me because Annastacia Palaszczuk has no plan to fix the unemployment crisis.
“You can’t trust Labor to create jobs.
“Currently 168,000 Queenslanders can’t find a job thanks to the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s shocking economic mismanagement.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk’s priorities are all wrong.
“Under Labor all you get is higher taxes, more debt, less jobs and less infrastructure.
“Treasurer Jackie Trad had a chance to outline her vision for Queensland this week, but she failed miserably.
“Queenslanders have been slugged nine new taxes and tax hikes.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is obsessed with tax and enjoys wasting taxpayers money by inviting Al Gore to lecture us about climate change, renaming our major children’s hospital and overseeing nearly half a billion dollars in ICT project overruns.
“Only the LNP is committed to creating jobs, investing in Queensland, delivering vital infrastructure projects, busting congestion, ending Labor’s rail fail and fixing the hospital crisis.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is anti-resources, anti-regions and anti-jobs.
“More Queenslanders are out of a job because of this incompetent Premier.”
The belated approval of Adani’s groundwater management plan has been welcomed by LNP Leader Deb Frecklington, who today announced her plan to drive the future development of the Galilee Basin.
“Today’s outcome is an enormous win for jobs in regional Queensland,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government betrayed regional communities by fighting against this project for four years.
“Labor’s anti-resources, anti-regions, anti-jobs agenda has held regional communities back for too long.
“The approvals process should have been finalised 18 months ago and each delay destroyed jobs.
“There is light at the end of the tunnel for thousands of regional Queenslanders whose livelihoods depend on unlocking the Galilee Basin.
“Today’s outcome will be a catalyst for our ‘Boost the Basin’ plan, which will create thousands of new jobs across the Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton regions.
“We’ll guarantee that every Queenslander gains from the Galilee Basin through new schools, hospitals and roads across the state.
“I want to thank the workers, families, businesses and community leaders who have stood up for regional Queensland and fought hard for the future of their regions.”
LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander said $50 billion worth of Galilee Basin projects – which will create 15,000 new jobs – have stalled because of Labor.
“No-one believes this approval shows Labor backs regional Queensland,” Mr Mander said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government was forced to react when their Federal colleagues were wiped out at the election, proving the only jobs they care about are their own.
“What Adani went through wasn’t an approvals process – it was an obstacle course.
“We must restore confidence in the system if we are to create more jobs.
“Instead of holding the resources industry to ransom like Labor, we will deliver a 10-year freeze on mining royalties to boost long-term investment in Queensland.
“The LNP’s plan will create jobs and get our economy back on track.”
LNP Shadow Minister for Mines and North Queensland Dale Last said generating new jobs across Central and North Queensland was crucial for regional communities.
“I have backed this project since day one,” Mr Last said.
“I want to thank regional Queenslanders who lobbied the Labor Government, because this project wouldn’t have got across the line without your support.
“The small businesses and industries that rely on the resources sector deserve confidence their government won’t politicise mining projects.
“The LNP’s ‘Boost the Basin’ plan will also overhaul Labor’s approvals process to ensure it’s not stacked against the resources sector.
“Only the LNP will restore confidence and bring back the investment and jobs that the regions are crying out for.”
The LNP wants Queensland to become the centre of the sporting universe by hosting a future Olympic Games.
During today’s Budget reply speech, LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said she wants Queensland on top of the podium.
“Queenslanders love their sport and we’ve produced some remarkable athletes across many disciplines over several decades,” Ms Frecklington said.
“It’s disappointing Treasurer Jackie Trad failed to back a Queensland Olympic Bid in her budget speech.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has been missing in action and failed to provide any leadership on this issue.
“The Games would supercharge our tourism industry by showcasing all of Queensland to billions of people around the world.
“It would ensure that congestion busting infrastructure is delivered.
“Queensland will need this infrastructure with or without the Olympics, but a Games bid will ensure it is built.
“The LNP urge the Palaszczuk Labor Government to commit all necessary funds to support Queensland’s Olympic Bid.
“The Games must be for all of Queensland and I’m committed to make this happen.
“The LNP truly believes we can deliver one of the best Olympics in modern history.
“I urge Queenslanders to embrace the LNP’s push to bring the world’s best athletes to the Sunshine State.”
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington will today unveil her plan to drive the development of the Galilee Basin and create thousands of new jobs across the Townsville, Mackay and Rockhampton regions.
Ms Frecklington will use her Budget Reply speech to announce a 10-year freeze on mining royalties to boost long-term investment in the resources industry.
The LNP will also overhaul Labor’s politicised approvals process and back a new drive to attract international resources investment in Queensland.
And Ms Frecklington will also guarantee that every dollar of the royalties collected from the Galilee Basin will go into a new Queensland Infrastructure Fund to build hospitals, schools and roads across the state.
“Labor has fought the opening of the Galilee Basin for four years,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk and her spineless MPs have betrayed mining communities in the regions.
“Labor’s anti-resources, anti-regions and anti-jobs agenda is hurting Queensland like never before.
“The LNP backs the Galilee Basin and we are going to bring jobs back to the communities that Annastacia Palaszczuk has forgotten.
“We will create good jobs and we’ll guarantee that every Queenslander gains from the Galilee Basin through new schools, hospitals and roads.”
Ms Frecklington said around $50 billion worth of Galilee Basin projects – which will create 15,000 new jobs – have stalled because of Labor’s pro-Greens, anti-mining agenda.
“I am going to stop Labor’s politicisation of the approvals process for new mining projects,” Ms Frecklington said.
“We all know how Annastacia Palaszczuk kept shifting the goalposts and stacked the process against the Adani project.
“If we are to create more jobs, we must restore confidence in the system.
“A future LNP Government will restore fair and transparent key performance indicators for environmental approvals. These will be published, tracked and reported.
“The framework will respect our environment, but it will also respect the needs of industry.
“Resources projects need certainty to get off the ground and the LNP will provide it.”
The LNP’s ‘Boost the Basin’ jobs plan for Queensland, to be unveiled in today’s Budget Reply speech, includes:
“Labor are anti-resources, anti-regions and anti-jobs,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government tried to bury the Carmichael mine, told miners to ‘re-skill’ and held the resources industry to ransom two weeks before the Budget.
“Labor has blocked the resources industry, but I will back it.”
LNP Shadow Minister for Mines and North Queensland Dale Last said only an LNP Government would boost the Galilee Basin and generate new jobs across Central and North Queensland.
“Thanks to Annastacia Palaszczuk, the resources industry’s confidence in Queensland is at rock bottom,” Mr Last said.
“You can’t blame the industry – Labor is out to destroy their business model.
“Only the LNP will restore confidence and bring back the investment and jobs that the regions are crying out for.”
The bitterly divided Palaszczuk Labor Government is more focused on looking out for themselves rather than Queenslanders, as their bad budget continues to unravel.
Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander moved a motion in Parliament today condemning Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on several fronts, including Labor’s infighting and their $90 billion debt bomb.
Mr Mander said the knives are out in the Labor Party following their shocking result in the Federal Election and Annastacia Palaszczuk’s anti-resources, anti-regions and anti-jobs agenda.
“Current and former Labor MP’s are lining up to criticise Annastacia Palaszczuk’s wrong priorities,” Mr Mander said.
“It took Labor’s disaster at the Federal Election for Annastacia Palaszczuk and Jackie Trad to even acknowledge regional Queensland existed.
“Nearly three out of four Queenslanders voted for anyone but Labor at the recent Federal election.
“Queenslanders are sick of Labor’s waste, lack of infrastructure, rail fail, congestion, health crisis and shocking unemployment rate which is among the worst in the country.
“Labor can’t be trusted to create jobs or fix the economy.
“This tax-obsessed Labor government is addicted to wasting tax payer’s money.
“When Labor runs out of money, they come after yours.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has no plan to make Queensland the economic powerhouse it once was.
“Her only plan is trying to save her own job because Jackie Trad, Cameron Dick and Kate Jones are circling.
“Labor is bitterly divided and they’re dividing Queensland in the process with their higher taxes, more debt, less jobs and less infrastructure.
“You can’t afford Labor.
“Only the LNP is committed to creating jobs, bust congestion, fund more beds in our hospitals, end Labor’s rail fail, introduce no new taxes and ease cost of living pressures.
“Labor is addicted to tax and wasting money.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk’s priorities are all wrong, she’d rather waste money on an Al Gore lecture, change a hospital name in Brisbane, increase rego and oversee half a billion dollars in ICT project waste.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is treating Queenslanders like fools and cash cows.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government is simply not up to the job of managing the economy after their fifth Budget locked in higher taxes, more debt, less jobs and less infrastructure for Queensland.
Liberal National Party Leader Deb Frecklington said the Budget showed Queensland can’t afford Labor.
“After five years in power, all Labor is delivering is higher taxes, more debt, less jobs and less infrastructure,” Ms Frecklington said.
“New taxes, $90 billion of debt and almost 160,000 Queenslanders looking for work is the sum of five years of Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Higher Taxes
“Treasurer Jackie Trad has piled more than $3.45 billion in extra taxes and charges on Queenslanders in just two Budgets.
“Every dollar Labor takes from Queenslanders hurts the economy and destroys jobs.
“When Labor run out of money, they come after yours.
“This Budget alone will rip $1.25 billion out of the Queensland economy through new taxes and tax hikes over the next four years.
“Nowhere has ever taxed its way to prosperity.”
More Labor Debt
Ms Frecklington said while Labor charged ahead with its high-taxing agenda, debt was soaring to a staggering $90 billion.
“Labor is putting us further into debt to pay for their wasteful spending, such as changing hospital names and Al Gore lectures,” she said.
“Labor can’t manage money.
“Queensland has endured five years of Annastacia Palaszczuk and Jackie Trad but their legacy of tax and debt will last a lifetime.
“Labor’s debt represents a burden of $16,795 for each and every man, woman and child in Queensland.
“The debt bomb means billions of dollars will be unavailable in the future for natural disaster recovery or infrastructure projects, and there will be less money for nurses, teachers and police.
“Jackie Trad has jeoparadised the future of Queensland to save the skins of Labor MPs at the next election.”
Labor’s Infrastructure Lie
Ms Frecklington said the great Labor lie of this Budget was in infrastructure.
“Labor aren’t borrowing to build - they are borrowing to cover their wasteful spending,” she said.
“Labor’s IT projects are now almost half-a-billion dollars over budget, they’re fixated on changing the name Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital and they’ve slugged taxpayers a fortune for lectures by Al Gore.
“Labor’s Budget actually cuts infrastructure spending by $23 million in the budget year and over the forward estimates.
“There’s also a $500 million reduction in infrastructure spending in 2019/20 compared to previous forecasts.
“Labor is delivering less infrastructure, but more debt.
“Queensland has the lowest infrastructure investment as a percentage of revenue in the nation.”
The Forgotten Regions
Ms Frecklington said the Palaszczuk Labor Government had forgotten regional Queensland.
“The other great lie of the budget is that it is for regional Queensland. The money Labor is actually spending on infrastructure is being funnelled into a handful of inner-Brisbane electorates for their pet project Cross River Rail,” she said.
“Labor is ignoring the infrastructure needs of regional Queensland.
“At the same time, Labor is holding the resources industry to ransom and holding back projects Central and North Queensland are relying on new jobs.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is anti-resources, anti-regions and anti-jobs.”
Less Jobs
LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander said unemployment in Queensland was far above the national average under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“This Budget shows Jackie Trad is obsessed with saving her own job at the next election rather than creating jobs for Queenslanders,” Mr Mander said.
“Jobs growth has plummeted, with 26,000 less jobs predicted than in last year’s Budget.
“This is a further blow to Queensland’s workforce, with almost 160,000 people looking for work.
“The unemployment rate in Queensland is far higher than Victoria and New South Wales.
“There is a jobs crisis in regional Queensland and much of the South-East – and key indicators point to unemployment only getting worse.
“Business confidence is at rock-bottom while construction is grinding to a 13-year low.
“Our economy is barely growing and investment in our state has collapsed.
“Queensland is hurting and it’s a direct consequence of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“Instead of delivering tax relief, Queenslanders have been taxed even more by Labor.
“Instead of a plan to responsibly pay down debt, Labor only has a plan to burden our kids and grandkids with debt.
“Instead of creating jobs for Queenslanders, the only jobs Labor care about are their own.
“This Labor Government is going nowhere and it’s taking Queensland with them.”
Ms Frecklington said her speech in reply to Labor’s Budget on Thursday would outline her vision for Queensland and plan to create jobs and opportunities in every corner of this state.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington has unveiled her plan to prevent massive blow-outs in the cost of Queensland Government technology projects.
The public Digital Projects Dashboard shows the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s latest IT projects have soared over their original budgets by $447m.
The LNP has announced it will introduce a rigorous mandatory code for new technology upgrades and create an IT enforcer to prevent waste in the public sector.
“It is a disgrace that Labor’s IT projects are now almost half-a-billion dollars over budget,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Ten years after the health payroll disaster, Labor hasn’t learned a thing.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is a digital disaster zone.
“This waste doesn’t happen in the private sector and it won’t happen under an LNP Government.”
The LNP plan will see government departments issued with mandatory guidelines for designing and implementing IT projects.
Departments will be held responsible for every dollar they spend and projects will have to undergo detailed regular ‘health-checks’.
The LNP will also empower the Chief Information Officer (CIO) to be the Government’s IT enforcer.
The CIO will be tasked with investigating every overspend, identifying what went wrong and ensuring mistakes aren’t repeated.
“We will build a firewall that ensures IT projects stay on track and in the black,” Ms Frecklington said.
The largest IT procurement blow-outs have occurred in the following five government departments:
• Queensland Health - $291.5m
• Department of Housing and Public Works - $67.5m
• Department of Child Safety, Youth & Women - $33.7m
• Department of Transport and Main Roads - $33.4m
• Department of Education - $12.3m
Analysis of the latest ABC figures shows Queensland has become the strike capital of Australia under Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Around 2,700 working days were lost to industrial action in the March 2019 quarter – meaning 156,200 days have been lost under the two terms of the Palaszczuk Labor Government*.
Since Annastacia Palaszczuk became Premier in 2015, Queensland has suffered more strike action than any other state – accounting for 33 per cent of all working days lost nationally.
LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander said the high level of strike action was another drag on Queensland’s economy.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has turned Queensland into the strike capital of Australia,” Mr Mander said.
“We have far more strike action than Victoria and New South Wales – even though these states have far larger workforces.
“The strike numbers are more bad news for Queensland’s struggling businesses.
“With more strikes and seven new taxes from Labor, it’s no wonder business confidence is at rock bottom.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is now consistently rated the worst in Government in the nation by small and medium-sized businesses.
“Strikes, tax and a collapse in confidence are all destroying jobs.
“Worryingly, Labor has yet to rule out even more taxes in next week’s Budget.
“Only the LNP has guaranteed not to introduce a single new tax in Queensland.”
* www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/6321.0.55.001Mar%202019?OpenDocument
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington has vowed to empower parents to identify if child sex offenders are living in their neighbourhood if the LNP is elected at the next state election.
Ms Frecklington said the LNP had committed to major child-safety reforms to deliver a new public child sex offender register.
“If I become Premier, I will do everything I can to stop sexual predators from targeting kids,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government baulks at the concept of a registry time and time again.
“It’s clear the only way a child sex offender registry will be delivered in Queensland is to elect an LNP Government.
“Protecting children is more important than protecting the anonymity of pedophiles.
“Queenslanders have the right to this information, but the Palaszczuk Labor Government says no.
“I back tougher, responsible laws that will protect children and empower parents.”
Despite the Palaszczuk Labor government having it for months, drought-stricken communities are still being denied access to an independent review into Queensland’s drought program.
LNP Leader Deb Frecklington and Deputy Leader Tim Mander travelled to Toowoomba today for FarmFest and called on the Premier to make the report public immediately.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government needs to stop sitting on this report,” Ms Frecklington said.
“It was completed in January, yet the Premier and her embattled Agriculture Minister Mark Furner won’t come clean.
“This arrogant Labor government has a culture of secrecy and cover-up’s.
“Mr Furner has form in hiding bad news, never forget he refused to release the Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges report for six months, before he callously announced the ag colleges closure under the cover of Christmas.
“An independent report into the effectiveness of Queensland’s drought programs shouldn’t be locked away.”
LNP Deputy Leader Tim Mander said communities deserve to know what’s in the report.
“This Labor government needs to be held to account and the LNP won’t stop fighting for farmers,” Mr Mander said.
“Failing to release the report creates uncertainty and that’s the last thing these farmers need.
“Labor is once again showing its true colours by turning their back on regional Queensland.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is anti-jobs and anti-regions.”
LNP Shadow Agriculture Minister Tony Perrett said regional Queenslanders are sick and tired of being treated like second-class citizens.
“This callous disregard for farmers and families battling the drought by the Palaszczuk Labor Government is a disgrace,” Mr Perrett said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk is out of touch.
“65% of Queensland is drought-declared yet she refuses to release the report and explain why.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s new tax on housing and resources projects will drive up costs and destroy jobs, LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow Treasurer Tim Mander warned today.
“The last thing people whose livelihoods depend on the construction industry is a great, big, new tax on building jobs,” Mr Mander said.
“This industry is already struggling, particularly with Labor’s new waste tax and higher property taxes heaping financial pressure on projects.
“This is Labor’s seventh job-destroying tax and there was no mention of it at the last state election.
“It’s a tax on housing and resource projects that will cost jobs and drive up the cost of housing.”
Mr Mander said the construction and building industry employed some 250,000 Queenslanders and is one of our largest industries
“The Q-Leave scheme is important, but Labor’s changes are unnecessary,” he said.
“Last year, Q-Leave returned a profit of $23.9 million and the number of paid claims actually reduced.
“Labor’s new tax is driven by greed, not worker welfare.
“We should be doing more to support the construction industry, but Labor is taxing it into the ground.
“Only last week, we saw the 15th consecutive month where building approvals have fallen.
“From January last year, the value of building jobs has plummeted by $364 million under Labor.
“Compared to the peak quarter of December 2013, trend quarterly construction work done has fallen by 44 per cent - a fall of $7.6 billion.”
Mr Mander said the LNP reduced the levy rate in government and increased the threshold where the rate is introduced to ensure small-scale projects like home renovations weren’t captured.
“We exempted certain costs for major resource projects and guaranteed GST would not be included in project calculation,” he said.
“An LNP Government under Deb Frecklington has guaranteed no new taxes and we won’t hike royalties in our first term.
“You can’t tax your way to growth, it’s as simple as that.”
