Millions of taxpayer dollars down the drain as Palaszczuk Government pays empty hotels
The State Government has horribly misled Queenslanders.
At Wellcamp, the State Government told Queenslanders its hotel quarantine program was over.
Today, the Deputy Premier has been forced to admit since the 5th of February the State Government has spent more than $26 million of taxpayers’ money on a secret hotel quarantine program.
It’s been revealed most of these hotel rooms are empty.
This eye-watering amount of taxpayers’ money is being wasted at a time the Wellcamp facility remains largely unused.
This is a $26 million dollar dodgy debacle.
This is costing $500,000 a day.
We could be buying an extra two ambulances every day with this money.
Queenslanders have been blatantly misled by a government that cares more about how things look than how things really are.
We still don’t know how much the State Government spent on the Wellcamp facility and now we learn hotel quarantine never ended.
The Palaszczuk Government is now increasingly quarantining the truth and treating taxpayers’ money as a play thing.
Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.
Statement by Shadow Minister for Education, Dr Christian Rowan
Queensland students will still have to wait another four years for their schools to reach the same internet speeds as NSW despite the State Government’s so-called investment.
The Queensland Government’s announcement in school internet infrastructure is sadly too little, too late.
Just last year a damning Auditor-General’s report found the Queensland Government’s benchmark for internet speeds was 200 times lower than in NSW schools.
It also found the Queensland Government had failed to deliver a comprehensive digital strategy for our schools.
For the Premier and her Minister to only discover that fast internet is a necessity in our schools in 2022 shows this government is always too slow to act.
The Queensland Minister for Education must explain why it will take so long for Queensland schools to reach the same internet speeds as what NSW schools already deliver.
Serious questions must also be asked of the Minister as to why she hasn’t delivered the government’s 2019-2023 digital strategy.
By failing to fund and deliver this strategy, our students, teachers and other staff are having to pay the price and wait even longer for sufficient internet speeds.
Students, staff and teachers deserve better from this government.
Statement by Shadow Minister for the Environment, Sam O'Connor
This week in Parliament both Labor and the Katter Party refused to back the LNP’s moves to protect farmers in reef catchments who are doing the right thing.
Farmers are rightly frustrated at being solely blamed for the water quality of the Great Barrier Reef.
They are our partners in environmental protection.
The Katter Party’s ‘Reversal of Great Barrier Reef Protection Measures’ Bill was not the right way to better recognise primary producers and to incentivise best practice.
It was deeply flawed and would have made things worse for both farmers and our environment.
The Parliament has rightly and overwhelmingly rejected this disappointing attempt by the Katter Party to use farmers as political pawns.
The LNP will continue to advocate for our amendments to Labor’s Reef Regulations to remove the State Government’s power to penalise farmers who are accredited under best practice programs and complying with those programs.
If you are doing the right thing, the State Government should not be able to penalise you with massive fines under the Reef Regulations.
Removing this and substantially increasing the funding provided to help run best management practice programs would incentivise the take up of these industry-led, evidence-based initiatives.
It would also show farmers they are genuine partners in protecting our Great Barrier Reef.
The State Budget is only a few months away.
With their funding under threat, these programs are a real risk of being scrapped.
Even tripling the funding would only be a small investment but it would help futureproof this vital industry and help protect our most important natural asset.
We urge the State Government to renew and increase the funding for Best Management Practice.
We will continue to consult as we formulate our broader policies to make Queensland the agricultural powerhouse it deserves to be – a leader in on-farm innovation and sustainability.
Explosive figures reveal for the first time ambulance ramping is at crisis levels in Ipswich with 1 in 2 patients now left waiting on ramps, in hallways or along corridors.
Shockingly, ambulance ramping has increased 10% in Ipswich in the past year while in Toowoomba a quarter of all patients are routinely stuck on ramps.
The figures also show:
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the figures proved Queensland Health was in crisis.
“These shocking figures show the extent of the Queensland Health Crisis right across the state,” he said.
“Across Queensland, more than 1 in 3 patients are routinely stuck in ambulances outside hospitals, almost 250,000 Queenslanders are on the waiting list for the waiting list and a quarter of patients in emergency departments aren’t seen on time.
“It shows the State Government and the Health Minister aren’t listening to staff and patients on how to fix the Queensland Health crisis.
“Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.”
Shadow Health Minister and registered nurse Ros Bates said Queenslanders are dying in the arms of loved ones while waiting for an ambulance.
“For the Health Minister to say it is acceptable for Queenslanders to be waiting hours for an ambulance to turn up just shows how far she is out of her depth,” she said.
“Paramedics are crying out for help and have had to come up with their own solutions to try and put band aids on a system crumbling before our eyes.
“Meanwhile, thousands of patients in Ipswich can’t even get in the door to see a specialist.
“This is heaping more pressure on our health system and hardworking health workers who are straining under skyrocketing ambulance ramping and overcrowding in emergency departments.
“They’ve had enough of this Minister ignoring them, she must listen and she must act.”
Mr Crisafulli said our dedicated doctors, nurses and paramedics are heroes holding our hospitals together during the Queensland Health Crisis.
“The frontline staff want to take control back from Queensland Health, they want better resources, they want data shared in real time, they want to drive cultural change so that an ambulance doesn’t have to wait at the end of a ramp,” he said.
“These are just some of the solutions the LNP has put forward to heal the Queensland Health Crisis.
“Rather than making excuses, the Premier must finally start listening and start finding solutions.”
Explosive new figures reveal patients at Bundaberg Hospital’s emergency department wait longer for treatment than anywhere else in the state.
More than half of all arrivals to the hospital have no choice but to wait longer than the clinically recommended time.
Latest figures show the number of patients treated on time at Bundaberg Hospital has slumped by 40% in the past year while Hervey Bay and Maryborough Hospitals has fallen by almost 20%.
Shockingly, hundreds of people on elective surgery waiting lists aren’t being seen on time, as well as those awaiting specialist appointments.
The figures show:
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the staggering figures proved Queensland Health was in crisis.
“These shocking figures show the extent of the Queensland Health Crisis right across the state,” he said.
“The number of patients stuck in emergency departments at Bundaberg and Hervey Bay is rising every day, up 7% from the last quarter and in Maryborough it’s up 5%.
“Meanwhile across Queensland, a quarter of patients in emergency departments aren’t seen on time, more than 1 in 3 patients are routinely stuck in ambulances outside hospitals and almost 250,000 Queenslanders are on the waiting list for the waiting list.
“It shows the State Government and the Health Minister aren’t listening to staff and patients on how to fix the Queensland Health crisis.
“Queenslanders deserve so much better than this.”
Shadow Health Minister and registered nurse Ros Bates said Queenslanders are dying in the arms of loved ones while waiting for an ambulance.
“For the Health Minister to say it is acceptable for Queenslanders to be waiting hours for an ambulance to turn up just shows how far she is out of her depth,” she said.
“Paramedics are crying out for help and have had to come up with their own solutions to try and put band aids on a system crumbling before our eyes.
“Meanwhile, thousands of patients in Wide Bay can’t even get in the door to see a specialist.
“This is heaping more pressure on our health system and hardworking health workers who are straining under skyrocketing ambulance ramping and overcrowding in emergency departments.
“They’ve had enough of this Minister ignoring them, she must listen and she must act.”
Mr Crisafulli said our dedicated doctors, nurses and paramedics are heroes holding our hospitals together during the Queensland Health Crisis.
“The frontline staff want to take control back from Queensland Health, they want better resources, they want data shared in real time, they want to drive cultural change so that an ambulance doesn’t have to wait at the end of a ramp,” he said.
“These are just some of the solutions the LNP has put forward to heal the Queensland Health Crisis.
“Rather than making excuses, the Premier must finally start listening and start finding solutions.”
I welcome today’s commitment from the Federal Government to fund the Hells Gate Dam.
Any money that means greater water security is great news for North Queenslanders.
It is clear the Queensland Government has refused to listen to the need for water security for our state.
After 7 years the State Government has not built one dam. Not one.
The Federal Government has put forward the money and now the State Government needs to get out of the way and finalise the approvals.
I look forward to seeing shovels hit the ground for this nation building project.
The damning dossier the State Government doesn’t want you to see
The crisis engulfing Queensland’s ambulances has worsened with hundreds of secret documents exposing our sick health system is falling apart.
Among the shocking findings:
The dossier was released online by the Opposition today for all Queenslanders to read for themselves.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the truth about the Queensland Health Crisis would horrify Queenslanders and should ring alarm bells for the Premier to immediately listen and act.
“The time for distraction is over,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“There is nowhere to hide and the Premier can’t keep saying she’s not across the details.
“This is further evidence of a broken system that the State Government can no longer ignore.
“Like the integrity crisis, the State Government wants to hide this from Queenslanders, but we won’t stop fighting for the truth, that’s why we’ve published the dossier online.
“Right now, Queenslanders can’t trust that an ambulance is going to arrive at their door in their hour of need. For the sake of patients and our health workers we need to do better because lives are depending on it.
“We’ve put solutions on the table including more beds, better triage, releasing real-time data and giving power back to the frontline staff to make better decisions to improve patient care.
“It’s time for the Premier and her Ministers to start listening.
“Honest Queenslanders deserve better.”
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said the culture of cover up must stop.
“All Queenslanders deserve a world-class health system no matter where they live,” she said.
“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it can be for our dedicated frontline staff who are overworked and under-resourced.
“Our exhausted paramedics are doing an incredible job under the toughest conditions.
“It is not fair or right for them to be treated this way.
“Queensland Health was in crisis long before Covid, the fact these horror stories occurred all before the border opened at Christmas, proves the State Government is losing control of health.
“Ambulance staff deserve better.
“The Health Minister can no longer hide.
“These cases are damning and she must act now to fix the Queensland Health Crisis.”
Statement by Deb Frecklington
Shadow Minister for Water and the Construction of Dams
I welcome the Deputy Prime Minister’s commitment of $483 million towards the construction of Urannah Dam.
Today is an exciting day for North Queensland and I congratulate the proponent Bowen River Utilities on reaching this milestone.
The Premier and her Water Minister must ensure the necessary approvals are granted to allow this nation building project to commence.
The State Government must act, and they must act quickly.
We can’t afford for water security in the north to be delayed because of a State Government that only cares about how things look, not how they are.
In the 7 years the Labor Government has been in power, they haven’t built a single dam.
You cannot trust this government when it comes to water security.
The Premier and her failed Water Minister’s legacy will always be tearing down the wall of Paradise Dam against engineering advice.
Now they’re making announcements about announcements that they’ll make at some stage in the future.
Let’s be frank, this announcement is about fixing a political problem, not a water security problem.
How many more reports do we need?
This government needs to stop reviewing and start doing.
Queenslanders deserve better than this.
The reports about the Public Trustee on 4 Corners last night were damning and disturbing.
The Attorney-General and the State Government stand condemned for their failure to protect the most vulnerable in our community.
As advocate Inge-Marie Piekkala stated, what we heard was no less than ‘state-sanctioned elder abuse.’
Shadow Attornery-General Tim Nicholls said last night’s report shows vulnerable Queenslanders are still being ripped off by a government more interested in reviewing than doing.
"The stories of Chris, Clinton and Peter are only a few of many who have experienced the same treatment," Mr Nicholls said.
"We have story after story of vulnerable people losing almost everything at the hands of the body that should be safeguarding their future.
"Over the last 4 years the LNP has repeatedly raised concerns about the actions of the Public Trustee.
"Since becoming Shadow Attorney-General and Shadow Minister for Justice, I’ve hosted several public meetings across Queensland on this issue and prosecuted the failings in Parliament.
"The government must immediately finalise the review and change the fees and charges to a fairer system before the June Budget. Otherwise, vulnerable Queenslanders and their families will just be worse off.
"Vulnerable Queenslanders should have confidence the Public Trustee will work for them."
The State Opposition has called on the State Government to include its own handling of the flood emergency in their review.
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the mixed messages and miscommunication from the State Government needed to be improved ahead of future events.
“Queenslanders deserve guarantees the State Government will put the spotlight on its own failings,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“The Premier was absent from the field until Saturday afternoon when she told Queenslanders the event wouldn’t be serious.
“The Premier didn’t talk directly to Queenslanders about school closures. Instead, it was her social media team that distributed incorrect information causing chaos and confusion.
“Again yesterday, two different reports on who will lead the recovery were shared within minutes of each other.
“This was a complete breakdown in communication.”
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Dale Last said we must learn from these failures so the same mistakes didn’t happen again.
“This review must be wide-ranging, thorough and its findings released publicly,” Mr Last said.
“Queenslanders deserve a full-blown review into the State Government’s handling of this catastrophic emergency, not another review which will make findings about everyone else’s failings but their own.”
