The Liberal National Party has today released a five-point renewable energy plan that will ensure Queensland gets more than its fair share of renewable energy investment and jobs.
LNP Shadow Energy Minister Michael Hart said, unlike Labor’s reckless renewable energy target, the LNP’s plan would support the development of renewable energy projects and provide Queenslanders with reliable and affordable power.
“Today I make a firm commitment to the people of Queensland that the LNP will support the National Renewable Energy target that will see more than 23 per cent of Australia’s electricity generated from renewable energy by 2020,” Mr Hart said.
“Everywhere I travel, the story is the same – Queenslanders power bills are skyrocketing and they want price relief.
“If elected, the LNP will implement a five-point plan to ensure Queensland gets its fair share of renewable energy investment, without increasing prices.
“The Palaszczuk Government’s extreme renewable energy target will cause energy insecurity, cost taxpayers $18 billion and force households, businesses and industry to pay more.”
Mr Hart said the LNP’s renewable energy policy would be sensible and not threaten Queensland’s energy security.
“We need to get the balance right between renewable and fossil fuels and avoid, at all costs, the South Australian situation where that government’s over-reliance on renewable energy left households, hospitals and businesses without power,” he said.
“The LNP understands renewables have a role to play in Queensland’s future energy landscape and that’s why we’ll be setting up a one-stop shop to facilitate approvals for renewable energy projects.
“We will also investigate and monitor network linkages to the National Energy Market to ensure renewable energy projects have access to the national market and to help protect Queenslanders from excessive volatility in prices.
“We will maintain energy security by constantly monitoring intermittent generation for any threat to reliability of supply for Queenslanders.
“The LNP’s renewable energy policy will encourage renewable energy supply without expecting all Queenslanders to subsidise new technologies.”
The LNP’s five-point plan to Power Renewable Energy will:
The latest claims by Pauline Hanson that her party “stood alone” on the sugar industry code of conduct are patently false and misleading.
Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry and LNP Member for Burdekin Dale Last said the claims were wrong, deliberately misleading and an insult to anyone with knowledge of the issue.
“The code of conduct is the direct result of the LNP working hard with our Federal Coalition colleagues to protect Queensland cane farmers,” Mr Last said.
“The LNP, with Tim Nicholls leading the way, pressured the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister to introduce the Sugar Code of Conduct to stop the nonsense from the foreign-controlled millers.
“The LNP from Opposition successfully amended Queensland legislation to guarantee grower choice in marketing and then pressured the Federal Coalition to do their bit to support our cane farmers.
“Pauline Hanson and her followers have had absolutely nothing to do with the Coalition’s Code of Conduct - now the subject of a disallowance motion.
“Tim Nicholls travelled to Ayr for a public meeting in February, met with the Deputy Prime Minister and made a series of phone calls to the Prime Minister and senior Federal Ministers to push for the code of conduct.
“Everyone knows the history of this saga and for the Hanson party to be now trying to take all the credit is simply dishonest.”
Mr Last added that an attack on the code of conduct via a disallowance motion moved by NSW Senator David Leyonhjelm defied reason.
“Senator Leyonhjelm does not represent Queensland cane farmers. The sugar industry on the New South Wales Northern Rivers produces for the domestic market and choice in marketing with foreign-controlled companies holding regional milling monopolies is simply not an issue,” he said.
Mr Last said he was preparing to lead a delegation to Canberra to lobby hard for the interests of Queensland canegrowers and get the code of conduct passed through the Senate.
“I’ll be calling Senator Leyonhjelm, Senator Hinch, Senator Xenophon, Senator Lambie and others to arrange meetings to put a very strong case that Queensland farmers, their families and their communities need this code of conduct,” he said.
Queensland Health's 13HEALTH website has been forgotten by the do-nothing Labor Government, with the website last updated almost three years ago.
LNP Shadow Minister for Health John-Paul Langbroek said 13HEALTH was an important gateway for people seeking medical assistance.
“13HEALTH is a first port of call for many sick Queenslanders and it is extremely concerning that the website hasn't been updated since December 1, 2014,” Mr Langbroek said.
“It’s prime proof of a do-nothing Labor Government that would rather talk up the flu season than offer real solutions to the health system.
“So much for advancing Queensland when the key website promoting health advice to keep people out of emergency departments hasn't been updated for almost three years.
“Queenslanders don't need a failed Health Minister who has overseen the return of ambulance ramping to know it's a bad flu season.
“We need solutions to our clogged emergency departments to ensure adequate through-care, not more stating of the obvious.
“The last time Cameron Dick announced a media campaign it was to say 'assaults on ambulance officers are not on', but since then we have seen more assaults not fewer.
“It's time the Minister stopped talking and started doing something to tackle Queensland's struggling emergency health system.
“In Government, the LNP significantly reduced ramping by better coordination of ambulance and emergency departments and better oversight of the system.”
The Premier should stop playing games, end the uncertainty and name an election date.
Queensland is stagnating, the community is crying out for leadership and we have a Labor government hopelessly divided.
Instead of leading the way in job creation and job security, we are falling behind the other states.
We’ve seen business confidence go down, youth unemployment in Outback Queensland reach 57 per cent and crime rates increase. Enough is enough. Issues such as these must be dealt with.
By refusing to name an election date, Annastacia Palaszczuk and her divided Labor government are effectively grinding Queensland to a halt.
The next election will be fought on who has the best ideas and plans for Queensland’s future.
There has already been enough dodging and weaving by Annastacia Palaszczuk about the election date.
The Premier needs to come out today and name the date to end the unhelpful speculation and give business certainty.
The next election should not be about who can say the most outrageous thing or who can tell the biggest untruth in an effort to trick Queenslanders.
It has to be about who has the best plan to Build a Better Queensland.
The Liberal National Party tonight moved to ban 100 per cent fly-in, fly-out workforces during the construction phase of resource projects across the state.
LNP Deputy Leader and Shadow State Development Minister Deb Frecklington said this was about giving regional Queenslanders a fair go and opportunities to apply for jobs in Queensland’s resources industry.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk blocked the LNP’s amendments backing local workers despite many councils and unions supporting the change,” Ms Frecklington said.
“We’ve been listening to regional communities who just want a fair go, and have given them a voice – a voice that has been silenced under Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor.
“Labor remains the only Government to approve 100 per cent FIFO mines in Queensland.
“Only the LNP has had a consistent policy to oppose 100 per cent FIFO mines in Queensland."
Ms Frecklington said the LNP moved two amendments to Labor’s botched Strong and Sustainable Resources Bill after the concerns of regional communities in mining regions across the state were ignored.
“The LNP amendments would have mandated that resource companies must consult with local communities within the local government area through the Social Impact Assessment process,” she said.
“Currently there is no obligation for resource companies to do this under Labor’s proposal, and this is something we believe is unacceptable.
“The LNP’s amendments also address a number of the concerns* that Labor has ignored through the Committee process.
“Only the LNP understands the importance of enduring partnerships between regional communities and resource companies, and will build a better Queensland.”
*A number of regional councils put in submissions to the parliamentary committee – that were ignored - that raised concerns the LNP will address through its amendments. Those submissions can be found here.
After 12 months of hiding the true costs of its controversial Cross River Rail project from Queenslanders, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has finally released a sanitised summary that still exaggerates the benefits of the project.
Deputy LNP Leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure Deb Frecklington said Labor was still misleading Queenslanders about an extra $10 billion of operating and associated project costs.
“It’s taken more than a year for Jackie Trad to release a sanitised summary of the Cross River Rail business case and instead of addressing the concerns of the independent body, Infrastructure Australia, about trumped up patronage projections, Labor has simply bumped patronage figures up even further,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Instead of addressing the concerns that they’ve over-estimated the benefits, no critical analysis has been undertaken and Labor’s still cooking the books to make its rail project look good.
“Worse still, the Palaszczuk Government is still hiding over $10 billion of operating and auxiliary costs associated with the project.”
Ms Frecklington said the facts remain:
“This project is too expensive to get wrong,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The LNP has always said it supports another heavy rail crossing across the Brisbane River, but we need to get the infrastructure solution right.”
A new survey has revealed Queensland’s small businesses are feeling pessimistic about the year ahead with confidence falling yet again last quarter.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said the latest Suncorp Group-CCIQ Pulse Survey of Business Conditions showed it was getting harder to do business in Queensland under Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Labor Government.
“There’s not much good news in this survey,” Mr Emerson said.
“Business confidence is down, and business conditions have plummeted.
“Meanwhile labour costs and operating costs, such as power, have jumped and this has significantly hurt profitability. More than half of all businesses surveyed said profitability had dropped in the last quarter.
“Sadly, the report concludes things are going to get even worse in the quarter ahead.”
Mr Emerson said it was heart-breaking to read the comments of small business owners detailed in the Pulse report.
“The LNP understands how hard it is for Queensland families to make ends meet and for businesses to stay afloat.
“Comments like ‘small business is suffering’, ‘business overheads are at an all-time high’ and ‘our business has gone backwards’ illustrate just how hard it is to do business here in Queensland,” he said.
“What’s more, businesses are being slugged with higher power bills as this Labor Government continues to use energy businesses like ATMs in a bid to prop up their failing budget.
“The price of power is now the number one issue facing Queensland small businesses and survey respondents are saying they’ll have no choice but to cut jobs and pass the costs to their customers.
“This is just the latest report to show its getting tougher and tougher to do business under Labor in Queensland.
“Queensland is leading the nation when it comes to business bankruptcies, youth unemployment is up and Queensland is Australia’s strike capital.
“Only the LNP has the positive plans to reduce costs, cut red tape and encourage small businesses to grow and employ more Queenslanders.”
Key facts:
The Palaszczuk Labor Government should invest any royalty windfall in winding back its savage cuts to infrastructure.
LNP Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said if coking coal maintained its current price, there was the potential to add almost $2 billion in royalties to the Queensland State Budget.
“So far, Labor’s budgets have relied on super raids, slashing infrastructure and a lucky spike in the value of resource exports,” Mr Emerson said.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk’s first state budget cut infrastructure spending by $2 billion and over the next four years capital purchases are down by half a billion dollars.
“The roads budget was cut by $400 million this year, a move which attracted unprecedented condemnation by the Queensland Parliament.”
Mr Emerson said under Labor, infrastructure spending as a share of the Queensland economy had dropped to its lowest level in living memory.
“It’s obvious that under this government Queenslanders are missing out and much needed projects aren’t getting built,” he said.
“That’s why it’s vital any extra royalties should be directed into job-creating projects.”
Mr Emerson said projects that deserved funding consideration included:
A future LNP government will introduce some of the toughest youth justice reforms in the nation.
Liberal National Party Leader Tim Nicholls said Labor had failed Queensland with its soft-on-crime attitude and policies surrounding youth crime and justice.
He said Labor’s failed policies had resulted in a revolving door of justice where young criminals were running riot on the streets without any fear of repercussions.
“The LNP will make no apologies for being tough on youth crime,” Mr Nicholls said.
“The LNP will introduce breach of bail as an offence for young offenders after we listened to our frustrated police.
“Our hardworking police are sick to death of arresting some young thug in the morning only to re-arrest them in the afternoon after they have been given a free pass.
“The LNP will also remove the principle of detention as a last resort for repeat young offenders after their second offence and give courts the ability to name and shame an offender after their third offence.”
Shadow Attorney-General Ian Walker said the LNP would also introduce two new aspects to its youth crime strategy specifically targeting young criminals.
“The LNP will introduce a community payback scheme for young offenders convicted of unlawful entry, car theft or hooning offences,” Mr Walker said.
“These offenders will be required to undertake a community service order to show their remorse and reparation for their crime.
“This will be mandatory after their first offence – no ifs, no buts and no more excuses.
“The LNP will also provide courts with the ability to restrict a young person’s eligibility for a drivers licence if they have been convicted of certain car theft and hooning offences.”
Mr Walker said Annastacia Palaszczuk had sold out Queenslanders by putting the interests of young thugs ahead of families to secure votes with the inner-city bleeding heart brigade.
“Communities are sick to death of young offenders running riot on their streets with impunity,” Mr Walker said.
“The blame for this falls firmly at the feet of Annastacia Palaszczuk.
“Labor scrapped the LNP’s tough youth justice reforms and every single Queenslander in some way or another has paid the price for that decision.
“The LNP will not let Queenslanders forget that Annastacia Palaszczuk put the interests of young thugs and her own job ahead of them.”
Labor’s Fisheries Minister Bill Byrne needs to urgently revamp the Palaszczuk government’s Sustainable Fisheries Advisory Panel with the chair of the panel currently before the court on fraud charges.
LNP Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Dale Last said with Professor Suzanne Miller facing charges, it was time for Minister Byrne to revamp the advisory panel.
“Even before the fraud charges were brought against the Chief Scientist, the panel was regarded as a joke and a slap in the face to the state’s commercial and recreational fishing sectors,” Mr Last said.
“The Government needs to include at least one representative from the commercial fishing sector and one from the recreational fishing sector, on the advisory panel.
“The panel is full of academics and includes a social scientist with expertise in well-being – but no-one with any hands-on, investment experience in an industry.”
Mr Last said Minister Byrne needed to quickly appoint a new chair to the panel – someone with experience and above all, integrity.
“If the sustainable fishing expert advisory panel is to work, it needs to have a decent chair and genuine representation from the commercial and recreational sectors,” Mr Last said.
Mr Last said the government’s pick for a panel chair was now before the courts and it was about time Minister Byrne removed reference to Professor Miller from his Department’s website.*
*Professor Miller is still on the DAF website as Chair of the Panel
The Palaszczuk Government has been caught out lying about making a five-year, $80 million funding commitment to the core Queensland Natural Resource Management Investment (QNRMI) program.
Today’s media releases from Labor’s Natural Resources Minister Dr Anthony Lynham and the departmental website claim Labor has committed $80 million over five years to the QNRMI program.
LNP Shadow Natural Resources Minister Andrew Cripps said the website* claimed QNRMI program funding from the 2013-14 and 2014-15 budgets – budgets handed down by the former LNP Government.
Mr Cripps said in June, he had pointed out dramatic cuts to core Department of Natural Resources and Mines programs in Labor’s 2017-18 budget and today’s regional QNRMI program announcements reflected those cuts.
“After two years of trading on the strong, long-term commitment by the former LNP Government in the 2013-14 budget, the Palaszczuk Government has failed to strongly reinvest,” Mr Cripps said.
“This is a bitterly disappointing result for the core QNRMI program, which is the backbone of Queensland’s grass-roots, natural resource management effort across the state.
“For the first time in the 2013-14 budget, the former LNP Government invested a record $80 million over five years into the QNRMI program.”
“Since then it has achieved very strong natural resource management outcomes, but now when it comes to renewing that investment, we see Labor’s commitment slashed to just $42.3 million over only four years.”
Mr Cripps said it meant natural resource management funding had effectively been slashed by one-third.
“What makes this cut all the more extraordinary is the all rhetoric we hear from the Palaszczuk Government about how concerned it is about the environment – clearly that rhetoric is hollow,” Mr Cripps said.
“Labor’s budget trick of claiming QNRMI program funding previously committed by the LNP was not new, but the outcome was bad for the environment and regional Queensland.”
https://www.qld.gov.au/environment/agriculture/sustainable-farming/nrm-investment-program
A future Tim Nicholls-led Liberal National Party Government will launch a formal bid to get a State of Origin fixture to North Queensland in 2020 or 2021.
LNP Leader Tim Nicholls said rugby league-mad North Queensland not only deserved an Origin encounter but the economic benefits a game in the North would bring.
“My pledge today is to throw the resources of Government behind a North Queensland State of Origin bid,” Mr Nicholls said.
“We want to bring this game to the North in 2020 or 2021 at the new Townsville Stadium aka the Johnathan Thurston Arena.
“Within the first 100 days of a Nicholls LNP Government, we will instruct Tourism and Events Queensland to begin negotiations on North Queensland’s behalf.
“We know without Government backing and support, bringing an Origin to North Queensland would be a tall order as we compete with Sydney, Melbourne and Perth.”
Mr Nicholls said it would not just be the game a future LNP Government would try to bring to the North but also a week-long festival celebrating a rich and proud rugby league nursery - North Queensland.
“As part of the bid process, we will request both the Blues and the Maroons be based in other Northern rugby league strongholds such as Mackay and Cairns in the lead-up to the game,” he said.
“We will also look to undertake a rugby league-themed festival to run in North Queensland throughout the week so tourists won’t just travel for the game and leave but stay for longer and spend more.
“The exposure gained across North Queensland would do wonders for tourism and business.
“All the build-up of Origin would give North Queensland unmatched exposure, another reason why getting the teams based in Mackay and Cairns in the lead-up is so vital.”
Mr Nicholls said around 10 million Australian viewers watched the State of Origin series, making it the largest sporting event in the country.
“The eyes of Australia would be on the North for this game and more than 100 countries around the world will be tuning in,” he said.
“North Queenslanders deserve this game as their loyalty to rugby league is unquestioned – sending matches to Melbourne or Perth is a kick in the guts for all Queenslanders. I believe it is essential to take the game to where the most loyal fans and stakeholders are.
"North Queensland is a really important area for rugby league. It has produced the likes of Gorden Tallis, Matt Bowen and Billy Slater and an Origin match in Townsville would be wonderful.”
Queenslanders have much to fear from Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor when it comes to taxes on families and small business.
LNP Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said today’s revelations that Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten planned to hit Australians with $150 billion in new taxes should frighten all Queensland families.
“The LNP understands how hard it is for Queensland families to make ends meet and for businesses to stay afloat,” Mr Emerson said.
“Bill Shorten and Annastacia Palaszczuk are one and the same when it comes to slugging households with higher taxes to pay for their waste and inexperience.
“One thing is assured – with both Shorten and Palaszczuk supporting a 50 per cent renewable energy target, your electricity bill is going to continue to sky-rocket and it’s all Labor’s fault.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk was elected promising there would be no new or increased taxes. What have we seen since then?
“Labor has been jacking up government fees such as car registration at double the rate of inflation.
“In the last two state budgets, the Labor Government has introduced two new taxes on the property industry which will drive away investment and cost jobs.
“Taxes have increased by more than $50 per person or almost $200 per family on Annastacia Palaszczuk’s watch.
“Labor’s first budget scrapped the LNP’s payroll tax cuts, which would have lowered taxes for thousands of small businesses and created more jobs.
“Now Bill Shorten has made it clear he’ll slug Australian families and businesses with higher taxes if he gets into power and clearly Annastacia Palaszczuk has the same idea.
“Treasurer Curtis Pitt has already signalled he wants to have a ‘conversation’ with Queenslanders about higher taxes and the Premier has refused to rule out tax hikes in the future.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk has to come clean with Queenslanders about which of Bill Shorten’s new taxes she supports, otherwise it’s obvious she supports all of them.
“The LNP is the only party with a plan to cut cost of living for Queenslanders and reduce taxes on small business.”
“The LNP has delivered another important reform from Opposition, with No Body, No Parole laws passing through the Parliament.
“We’ve felt strongly about this policy which rebalances the scales of justice in favour of families of Queensland homicide victims, announcing our proposal last November.
“In passing these important reforms, we want to pay tribute to Fiona Splitt who started the original petition and Gary and Leanne Pullen who fought long and hard to have these important changes become law.
“Both of these families have suffered tragedies and deserve the opportunity to say goodbye to their loved ones and give them the appropriate farewell they deserve.
“We hope that these reforms help them, and families like them, find justice and closure.”
Two years since starting a review of the child protection legislation the, do-nothing Labor Government has finally introduced changes to the Child Protection Act.
LNP Shadow Minister for Child Safety Ros Bates said Labor had been dragging the chain on critical updates to child protection legislation, putting kids at risk.
“Two years to review a piece of legislation says Labor are not serious about continuing important reforms laid out after the Carmody Inquiry,” Ms Bates said.
“A full review of the Child Protection Act 1999 was a key recommendation of the child protection inquiry and since Labor came to power they have been slow to act.
“Only on the eve of an election has the embattled Minister finally acted – implementing LNP reforms once again.
“The child safety system has descended into crisis in just two short years of Labor Government.
“With no major legislative changes since the LNP made the tranche of reforms in 2014, the system has been going nowhere.
“It was the LNP’s that introduced a petition to offer permanency and stability for abused children.
“Other states have already made major changes to the way child protection responds to permanency planning.
“On top of that, Carmody recommended changes to how child deaths were reported and an opening up of information released following a child death.
“This review was one of 200 now chalked up on Labor’s watch and one that has been kicked into the long grass.
“While Labor dithers, children suffer and our child safety system spirals further into crisis.
“Only the LNP will deliver stronger families and a better Queensland.
A record number of abused children in foster care are missing out on key health supports due to a lack of planning by the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
LNP Shadow Minister for Child Safety Ros Bates said as a nurse, the latest child safety data raised further concerns about the health and wellbeing of abused kids in care.
“A record 568 children did not have a health passport in the last 12 months, highlighting how child safety officers are struggling,” Ms Bates said.
“Child health passports are a comprehensive record of the child’s medical history which will aid diagnosis, ensure the child receives appropriate health care and treatment throughout their time in out-of-home care and improve their health and wellbeing.*
“Foster carers are often left guessing about their child’s medical history because of the lack of important health assessments.
“Five hundred and sixty-eight abused children without a health passport is 568 times Labor’s failed Minister has allowed the law to be broken.”
Ms Bates said despite the Labor Government throwing money at the child safety system, nothing was improving.
“We can’t afford to let abused children languish in care with undiagnosed health needs because staff can’t get to them,” Ms Bates said.
“Only the LNP will build a better Queensland and deliver better child protection services.”
Today’s release of Queensland Treasury accounts has again highlighted a lack of business confidence and private investment in Queensland.
Shadow Treasurer Scott Emerson said yet again Labor was claiming credit for the hard work of Queensland exporters to hide the Government’s economic incompetence.
“The latest State Accounts show business investment across Queensland has declined yet again, while construction activity is down across the board,” Mr Emerson said.
“Business investment has dropped by a massive $23 billion under the Palaszczuk Labor Government and public infrastructure investment has been cut by $2.5 billion since Labor was elected.
“At a time when we should be encouraging private investors into Queensland, the Palaszczuk Labor Government is shutting the door on them.
“This is a government that last week slashed 10,000-plus jobs on the Gold Coast to save their own political skin, and in doing so tarnished Queensland’s hard-earned reputation as a safe place to invest.
“A jump in exports doesn’t hide the fact that Queenslanders are falling further and further behind.
“Queensland’s unemployment rate is the second-worst in the country at 6.5 per cent.
“We are leading the nation when it comes to youth jobs losses.
“Power prices are at record highs because of the policies of this government.
“Queensland is leading the nation for business bankruptcies.
“Business confidence has been negative every single quarter since the Palaszczuk Government’s election in 2015.
“These are the real issues and sadly Labor continues to bury its head in the sand and tell Queenslanders they’ve never had it so good.
“A Tim Nicholls-led LNP Government will listen, plan and act to build a better Queensland. Only by Building a Better Queensland will we deliver the jobs needed and restart our economy.”
The Palaszczuk Government’s policies to deliver gas to the domestic market has been exposed as hot air, with none of the initiatives currently delivering any additional gas to domestic consumers.
LNP Shadow Mines Minister Andrew Cripps said Labor’s Gas Supply and Demand Action Plan was already 18 months late after originally being due for release in early 2016.
Mr Cripps said Mines Minister Anthony Lynham tried to blame the Federal Government for Labor’s failures on this and many other issues exposed at recent Estimates Committee hearings.
“Minister Lynham has admitted that no modelling has been done to determine if these policy initiatives will have any impact whatsoever on domestic gas prices or supply,” Mr Cripps said.
“Despite all the hype and spin, the Minister has no idea if the tenure reservation policy will have any impact on the domestic supply or price of gas –– Labor is effectively flying blind.
“I asked him a straight question during the Estimates Committee hearing – when will those gas tenures released under Labor’s policy first produce gas for consumers in the domestic market?
“Anthony Lynham admitted that the tender processes for these gas tenures had not even been completed and that the market would determine when the gas would ultimately be produced.”
Mr Cripps said the Palaszczuk Government was playing politics with the domestic gas supply issue by criticising the New South Wales Government for failing to develop its own gas reserves.
“Anthony Lynham conveniently overlooks the fact that Victoria is doing exactly the same thing and he didn’t like it when I pulled him up on it during the recent Estimates Committee hearing,” he said.
“The Minister tried to claim that Victoria contributes gas to the domestic market through off shore operations, but I pointed out that off shore gas is actually regulated by the Federal Government.”
Mr Cripps said the Palaszczuk Government’s domestic gas framework would not ensure that domestic consumers could access a secure and/or affordable supply of gas.
Annastacia Palaszczuk should use her community forum to tell the truth to Gold Coast residents about how her criminal gang laws have completely failed them.
LNP Shadow Police Minister Tim Mander said new figures revealed only 27* patched bikies had disassociated themselves in the first seven months of Labor’s weak organised crime laws.
He said this was in stark contrast to the 434 patched bikies that disassociated themselves under the LNP’s tough criminal gang laws that Labor scrapped.
“Labor has rolled out the red carpet to criminal gangs and organised crime is starting to flourish again on the Gold Coast, which risks the safety of all Queenslanders,” Mr Mander said.
“Labor’s pathetic attempt to crackdown on organised crime resulted in laws that have led to patched bikies proudly stating they aren’t concerned about them in any way, shape or form.
“In fact, patched bikies have stared down the Palaszczuk Labor Government and unfortunately for Queenslanders, Annastacia Palaszczuk flinched.
“As usual, Labor are all talk and no action and community safety suffers as a result.”
Mr Mander said Labor’s much-hyped ‘anti-consorting laws’ had also been a complete failure resulting in only one conviction.
He said Labor embarrassingly used the recent Estimates Hearings to boast about how effective their laws were, but once again, the devil was in the detail.
“Police Commissioner Ian Stewart confirmed at recent Estimates Hearings# that Labor’s anti-consorting laws were difficult to enforce,” he said.
“We have seen several media reports of bikie gangs expanding their operations on the Gold Coast as patched members start to flex their muscle once again in an on-going turf war.
“The LNP introduced Australia’s most comprehensive criminal gang laws that gave the police the tools they needed to make Queensland safer.
“The results of our laws were that gangs disbanded, crime reduced and Queensland was a safer place to live, work and raise a family.”
Note: Labor’s laws assented to on 9 December, 2016
A Labor MP who sits on the Commonwealth Games parliamentary committee says the Games will be a transport “debacle”.
Maryborough Labor MP Bruce Saunders told Triple M Fraser Coast radio today that the Government was “pulling our hair out” at issues including not enough trains and buses.
He said Labor had fallen hopelessly behind in the rollout of New Generation Rollingstock (NGR) trains.
Transcript of Bruce Saunders on Triple M Fraser Coast
I’m on the Commonwealth Games committee and inside the Labor Party and we’re pulling our hair out at the moment. I’ll be quite honest with people, these trains were supposed to be up and running before the Commonwealth Games. At this stage we may have one set up and running, at this stage we’ve got 15 other sets cannibalised to get one on the ground. We are going to have a transport debacle. They are working feverishly behind the scenes now to make sure we have enough buses and transport and trains to and from the arenas on the Gold Coast and the Boondall with the cycling and things like that. We’re struggling, no use lying to people saying everything is all good and the people are really trying to get the transport thing up and running for the Commonwealth Games.
LNP Shadow Transport Minister Andrew Powell said Mr Saunders had let the cat out of the bag on a looming Games’ transport disaster.
“We already knew there was a chance the new trains wouldn’t be ready to go for the Games, and today Bruce Saunders has fessed up,” Mr Powell said.
“It has now been 10 months of rail fail under this Palaszczuk Labor Government with no end in sight.
“Labor have trained only 28 of the 200 drivers required to fix rail fail. Unless they get cracking, spectators and visitors will be stranded at stations during the Games.
“With the eyes of the world on us, that would be a public relations disaster for the Coast and Queensland.”
Mr Powell said Mr Saunders had countless opportunities during Estimates to question the Commonwealth Games Minister on the games transport strategy.
“If Mr Saunders knew there was a ‘rail debacle’ happening on Jackie Trad’s watch, why did he not raise these questions in Estimates?” Mr Powell said.
“We asked the Government on multiple occasions during Estimates hearings if the transport strategy for the Commonwealth Games was on track and we were told ‘nothing to see here, all fine’.
“Clearly this was not the case.
“How are we supposed to trust the do-nothing Government when their track record on rail speaks for itself?”
