LNP Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson says this week’s State Budget will be straight out of the Queensland Labor playbook – big on promises but short on delivery.
“Labor has so far relied on dumb luck and gouging households through increasing electricity prices,” Mr Emerson said.
“A fluke increase in coal royalties has led to another Labor pre-election splurge - but Labor still has no overarching economic strategy and their numbers can’t be relied on.
“Labor are treating families like cash cows with car registration increasing by $55 in just two years.
“Under Labor, wholesale electricity prices have increased by 70 per cent and Labor’s bungled water grid has seen bulk water price increases of 350 per cent.
“Labor has also failed to invest in the infrastructure Queensland needs, cutting the LNP’s infrastructure investment by $3 billion.
“The Palaszczuk Government is investing less than any previous Queensland Government in infrastructure while also failing to deliver 20 per cent or $2 billion of the infrastructure promised in its first budget.
“Labor has already promised two “jobs” budgets but in 2016 more than 30,000 Queenslanders lost their job - Queensland’s worst job losses on record.
“Youth employment is more than 20 per cent in most of the state and above 48 per cent in Outback Queensland. Under Annastacia Palaszczuk almost 15,000 young Queenslanders have lost their jobs.
“Labor was elected promising to pay down debt, yet the last budget update showed debt continuing to increase to $77.5 billion.”
Mr Emerson said Labor deserved a gold medal for rhetoric and broken promises but the wooden spoon for economic management.
“Labor was elected promising surpluses, but their last budget update showed Labor spending $7 billion more than it was earning over the forward years,” he said.
“Before the last election Labor never once mentioned its plans to raid $15 billion from public servants’ super, long service leave and government-owned businesses.
“Despite these one-off raids, debt continues to increase, the budget is still in deficit and infrastructure spending in Queensland has been savagely cut to the tune of $3 billion.
“This is shaping up as a typical pre-election Budget, Labor will over-promise on just about every metric and make commitments they know they won’t be able to keep.”
**Budget Facts and Background:
- The 2015-16 State Budget forecast employee expenses growth at 5.3 per cent in 2015-16. Actual employee expenses growth in 2015-16 was 7.8 per cent.
- The 2015-16 State Budget forecast revenue growth at 3.2 per cent in 2015-16. Actual revenue growth was 2.1 per cent.
- The 2015-16 State Budget forecast economic growth at 4.5 per cent in 2015-16. Actual economic growth in 2015-16 was 3.2 per cent.
- The 2015-16 State Budget forecast total infrastructure spend was $10.08 billion in 2015-16. The actual total infrastructure spend in 2015-16 was $8.04 billion.
- The 2015-16 State Budget forecast capital purchases spending at $8.6 billion in 2015-16. The actual capital purchases spend for 2015-16 was $6.9 billion.
- In 2015-16, the budgeted size of the public service was 205,896 full-time equivalents (FTEs). The estimated actual for 2015-16 was 209,999 FTEs.
- In 2016-17 the budgeted size of the public service was 215,087 FTEs. Media reports have confirmed the size of the public service in 2016-17 at 216,636 FTEs.
**All figures are based on available budget papers including the 2015-16 State Budget, the 2016-17 Mid Year Fiscal and Economic Review and the 2015-16 Report on State Finances.
