It is extraordinary that in the middle of a housing crisis the Palaszczuk Government sold off homes and blocks of land.
While property prices soared, the government chose greed over Queenslanders by selling off 295 homes and 67 empty blocks of land in the 18 months to June this year.
It is clear this was an attempt to make up for its exorbitant waste.
Demand for social housing has never been as high as it is now, but this third-term Labor government is scraping the bottom of the barrel to reduce housing stock in the middle of a social housing crisis.
The Minister continues to fail the most vulnerable Queenslanders who desperately need a roof over their head.
She must take responsibility for her own failings and that of her government.
Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.
The Palaszczuk Government’s failure to deal with youth crime in Queensland has seen us plummet to become the worst state in the country when it comes to car thefts.
Shadow Police Minister Dale Last said Queensland earnt this title on Labor’s watch.
“We don’t want this title,” Mr Last said.
“It’s nothing to be proud of and it will affect Queenslanders everywhere.
“It will push up car insurance premiums in the middle of a cost of living crisis.
“On average, 43 cars were stolen in Queensland every day last year.
“This proves the scale of the problem and the failings of the youth justice system.
“This third term Labor Government has stopped listening to Queenslanders.
“The Premier, Police Minister and Youth Justice Minister have downplayed the crime problem and refuse to implement consequences for actions.
“LNP had repeatedly called on the State Government to introduce breach of bail as an offence for young offenders.
“If breach of bail was an offence and a young offender broke any one of their bail conditions, the system would be able to intervene early,” he said.
“The State Government must strengthen our laws to get these young offenders off the streets.
“If the government doesn’t act now, it’s only going to get worse.”
The State Government hasn’t built a dam in a generation, they are light on water policy and heavy on politics.
In less than 20 years Queensland will need a dam the size of Wivenhoe to keep up with population growth.
When asked about the water plan today, the Minister referred to the rain.
This State Government cannot be trusted when it comes to water security.
This isn’t the first time the State Government have missed the mark on drought-proofing Queensland.
It is history repeating itself.
Their lack of planning has resulted in rushed water infrastructure with poor designs and hefty price tags and Queenslanders will have to foot the bill.
When government’s fail to plan they fail to protect Queensland lifestyle.
Queenslanders deserve better than a government with a culture of poor priorities and waste.
The Palaszczuk Government’s extraordinary incompetence has been exposed with Estimates revealing an extra $3 billion of taxpayers’ money has been wasted.
This proves this third-term Labor government is losing control of spending in Queensland.
This money could have built two hospitals and employed thousands of nurses and doctors in the middle of a health crisis.
It is clear the Palaszczuk Government consistently chooses politics and secrecy over people and transparency.
The list compiled from just the last two weeks is extraordinary:
Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.
It will take 25 years for the Palaszczuk Labor Government to deliver funds that were promised to house the most vulnerable Queenslanders.
Estimates today confirmed only $40 million of the government’s promised $1 billion fund for social housing will be spent each year.
It will be nearly 2050 before the commitment is delivered.
The extraordinary admission came as it was also revealed in Estimates today the social housing waitlist has again ballooned, this time by 12% to 27,430.
Shadow Social Housing Minister Tim Mander said the Minister had failed Queenslanders who desperately needed a roof over their head.
“The Minister claims the numbers are just ebbs and flows when the fact is the number of Queenslanders on the social housing list has increased on her watch, again,” he said.
“Meanwhile, the 1000-bed Wellcamp quarantine facility that cost Queenslanders north of $200 million is gathering dust.
“This Minister must take responsibility for her own failings and that of her government.”
Mr Mander said the $1 billion housing investment fund was farcical.
“It’s extraordinary that the Minister can claim this is going to fix Queensland’s social housing crisis when in fact it will take the government 25 years to deliver on its commitment.
“We knew that it was never going to happen and now we have the proof.
“This Minister is tone-deaf to the thousands of Queenslanders who are on the social housing waiting list looking for somewhere to live.
“The facts speak for themselves.
“This government cannot be trusted to deliver for Queenslanders.
“Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.”
Minister Mick de Brenni has:
• Unlawfully meddled in the independent Right to Information process.
• Allowed a former Labor Party president to organise the QBCC to pay Labor lobbyist Anacta to ‘improve government relations’ with him as the shareholding Minister.
• Overseen hundreds of thousands of dollars being funnelled through a lobbying firm to an unsanctioned business of a Labor party supporter who worked on election campaigns.
• Wasted $1.065 million dollars on botched QBCC TV ads.
• Politicised positions on boards.
• Allowed average wait times to repair building defects for Queenslanders to soar.
• Held nine reviews and implemented nothing.
• Failed to deliver and manage a sustainable budget.
Mick de Brenni has no respect for accountability, no respect for the work he should be doing on behalf of Queenslanders and Queenslanders no longer respect this dodgy Minister.
Mick de Brenni should resign.
What is the threshold for being sacked as a Minister in the Palaszczuk Government?
Another major IT blowout plagues government
Estimates has revealed the Palaszczuk Government failed to pass on a $175 energy rebate to Queenslanders as promised.
Estimates hearings uncovered Energy Minister Mick de Brenni hadn’t followed up on the announcement made by the Premier.
Almost 3 months ago Queenslanders were promised the rebate on their next electricity bill, but the Palaszczuk Government failed to organise it with energy retailers.
Estimates also revealed an IT program designed to manage purchasing and payroll for Energy Queensland has blown out by at least $181 million.
The Digital Enterprise Building Blocks program has ballooned from $633 million to $814 million.
Shadow Energy Minister Pat Weir said more blowouts and a complete failure to deliver the rebate when the cost-of-living crisis has deepened for families is inexcusable.
“This is just another example of the Palaszczuk Government only caring about the announcement to make themselves look good instead of actually delivering for Queenslanders," Mr Weir said.
“The Palaszczuk Government is never across the details.
“In the middle of the cost-of-living crisis Queensland families would have factored this rebate into their budgets but it hasn’t arrived. That is inexcusable.
“The Palaszczuk Government should get their act together and get on with actually delivering what was promised.
“The Palaszczuk Government has already broken its promise by missing the last energy bill. The rebate must be included in the next bill.
“Cost-of-living pressures may not matter to the Palaszczuk Government but it matters to Queenslanders.
“Queenslanders know the Palaszczuk Government cannot be trusted with the budget and now another botched IT program is pouring more money down the drain.
“The Palaszczuk Government is wasting more taxpayers’ money.
“Queenslanders deserve better.”
Minister claims major delay is a ‘typo’
Estimates has revealed the true cost of Brisbane’s Cross River Rail project has climbed to a whopping $8 billion.
Estimates hearings today uncovered a budget overspend of $2.84 billion bringing the total cost of the project to $8.024 billion – a 48.6% increase on the $5.4 billion spruiked by the Palaszczuk Government.
When asked why the project is running a year behind, Transport Minister Mark Bailey made the extraordinary claim that the original media release had a ‘typo’ in it.
The LNP also questioned why nine additional projects had been quietly added to the Cross River Rail budget under different names.
These projects total $1.136 billion dollars on top of an additional $1.48 billion of a “commercial-in-confidence” deal.
When asked about the additional costs that had snuck into the budget, Transport Minister Mark Bailey said Cross River Rail was a project that Queenslanders “love and understand”.
“This is sneakiness of the highest order,” Mr Minnikin said.
“To listen to Mark Bailey fumble over core and non-core promises was embarrassing. It’s the same project and taxpayers’ money.
“We already know the cost of this project has blown out and won’t be delivered on time, and this Minister just shrugs his shoulders.
“This is one of the biggest projects in Queensland and the Palaszczuk Government wants us to believe it’s not late because of typos, and on budget because major elements of the projects are under different names.
“Queenslanders know they can’t trust the Palaszczuk Government and this proves it.
“Just be upfront about the cost and timeframes.
“Queenslanders would be rightly outraged at the Minister’s lack of transparency and accountability when it comes to this critical project.”
The additional projects in the Cross River Rail budget include:
The Minister also confirmed government media releases promising the project would be ready to service the south-east by 2024, were wrong and the project wouldn’t be delivered until 2025.
“It is laughable that the Minister claims this is a typo,” Mr Minnikin said.
“The lack of integrity shown by the Minister at Estimates today and his disdain towards questions about this multi-billion project is appalling.
“Queenslanders deserve to know the true cost of this project, they deserve to know when it will be delivered, and they deserve to be told the truth.
“Accountability matters, it just doesn’t matter to the Palaszczuk Government.”
