The Palaszczuk Government’s energy rebate was announced in May to be applied to your next bill.
It wasn’t.
Many Queenslanders would have adjusted their budgets for a rebate that never arrived.
In farcical scenes during Estimates it was revealed the energy retailers hadn’t even been informed by the Palaszczuk Government about the rebate.
It had been announced but never organised.
The Premier and the Energy Minister Mick de Brenni were publicly embarrassed in media conferences when they were forced to admit the glaring mistake.
Today we learn many Queenslanders won’t see the rebate applied until November.
You cannot trust the Palaszczuk Government to deliver in your hour of need.
Queenslanders deserve better.
Statement by Deb Frecklington, Shadow Minister for Water and the Construction of Dams
The Palaszczuk Government’s decision to approve the mining lease for Stage 3 of the New Acland Coal Mine is long overdue.
This approval should have been given a long time ago.
Now there is only one thing standing in the way.
The Minister must grant the associated water licence for the mine.
I implore the Minister not to dither – a decision must be made.
The people of the Darling Downs cannot continue to be hung out to dry.
At long last.
Today my community of Oakey finally has some certainty after being political pawns for too long.
Stage three of the New Acland Mine expansion should have been approved a long time ago.
While the Palaszczuk Government dragged its feet and refused to make a decision, 450 people lost their jobs.
The Palaszczuk Government has never been able to find any justifiable reason not to approve this mine.
All conditions have been satisfied for years.
The issue has always been the Palaszczuk Government’s inability to make a decision and putting politics ahead of people.
If proof was needed about how embarrassed the Palaszczuk Government is to finally be forced to approve something that should have been rubber stamped years ago, a Friday afternoon media release with just two lines says it all.
The Palaszczuk Government only made this decision after destroying its reputation with Queensland’s resources industry through a broken tax promise.
This proves this government can no longer be trusted to provide the certainty we need for major investment in Queensland.
They aren’t making decisions based on the facts in front of them, they are making decisions based on politics.
Queenslanders deserve better.
The State Government is hiring political staffers at a faster rate than frontline workers like doctors, firefighters and teachers.
The Palaszczuk Government’s own workforce data shows it is prioritising politics over delivering services for Queenslanders.
In 12 months, the number of staffers working in ministerial offices increased by 3.15% to 229.
In comparison, there was only a 0.12% rise in teacher and teacher aide positions.
The number of doctors in Queensland increased by just 2.4%, while the number of firefighters rose by 1.23%.
Shockingly, despite youth crime spiralling out of control, the Palaszczuk Government has only employed an extra five police officers.
This is an increase of just 0.04%.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the State Government should be focused on improving the lives of Queenslanders.
“These numbers tell the story of an administration bogged down by wasteful spending and poor priorities,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“The State Government is focused on itself when it should be focused on the challenges facing Queenslanders.
“If the State Government had more frontline staff they wouldn’t need an army of back room spin doctors papering over the service delivery cracks.”
Shadow Minister for Customer Service Steve Minnikin said he wasn’t surprised by the figures.
“The Palaszczuk Government’s priorities are all wrong,” Mr Minnikin said.
“At a time when doctors are doing double-shifts because they’re short staffed, the Premier is hiring more staff for her political offices.”
“They’re so obsessed with politics they’ve stopped delivering services for Queenslanders.”
“Queenslanders want fewer spin doctors and more actual doctors.”
The LNP is encouraging all Queensland victims of the Palaszczuk Government’s failed forensics laboratory to come forward and share their stories.
The Commission of Inquiry needs to hear from all victims to fully understand what’s gone wrong and to ensure change happens.
For years we have heard of failings at Queensland’s forensics lab.
This inquiry gives us the chance to fix it.
This lab is vital for victims seeking justice in Queensland.
We need to make sure when samples are sent to the lab that any DNA present is identified.
This is not just about community confidence, it is about getting justice for victims.
Victims of murder.
Victims of rape.
Victims of assault.
The LNP called for this inquiry because we wanted to see victims and their families get justice.
We will keep fighting for them.
You can find out more about making a submission here: https://www.dnainquiry.qld.gov.au/submissions.aspx
The Palaszczuk Government’s broken promise of no new or increased taxes is driving away billions of dollars of investment in Queensland and destroying jobs.
Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki said the actions and uncertainty caused by Treasurer Cameron Dick was directly responsible for BHP’s decision to put the proposed Blackwater South mine on ice, jeopardising thousands of jobs.
“Business can no longer trust the word of the Palaszczuk Government and as a result Queensland will miss out on billions of dollars of future investment across all sectors,” he said.
“We’re already seeing business withdrawing investment from Queensland.
“The Treasurer’s failure to consult and meaningfully engage with business is costing Queensland dearly.”
Shadow Mines Minister Pat Weir said the Resources Minister had also failed to consult the industry about the government’s broken promise.
“This decision is exactly what we said would happen,” he said.
“The lack of consultation means the industry doesn’t know what’s coming next and that is destroying confidence.
“This Minister has failed to do his job and that is costing regional Queenslanders jobs in the communities where they live.
“Queensland deserves better from this government.”
Member for Gregory Lachlan Millar said the reckless actions of the Palaszczuk Labor Government was costing jobs in Central Queensland.
“The Treasurer broke his promise of no new or increased taxes and this was the result,” he said.
“2000 jobs gone and the Treasurer does not care. What other jobs is he happy to destroy?
“This affects every business in our community, whether it’s the local bakery, café or hairdresser and it means nothing to Cameron Dick.
“This government has recklessly started dismantling what is a very significant industry in our region and the only thing Cameron Dick cares about is himself.”
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.”
The Palaszczuk Government must release the infrastructure schedule for the Olympics so Queenslanders can ensure what was promised will be delivered.
The infrastructure schedule should include the list of projects, the costings plan and delivery timelines that Queenslanders were promised last year.
The Olympics is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to deliver a vision for our state.
It is not a vanity project.
Last week, the Palaszczuk Government said it was “stabbing in the dark” when it came to redeveloping the Gabba and now there are reports that infrastructure projects could already be blowing out by $1 billion before we’ve even seen a shovel in the ground.
It also concerns me that that the Palaszczuk Government is seeking to take the unprecedented step of taking control of Olympic infrastructure delivery instead of it being delivered by an independent body like it has been at other Olympics.
Queenslanders know they cannot trust the Palaszczuk Government to deliver infrastructure on time and on budget.
Over the past seven years, the government has overseen massive cost blowouts and delays to infrastructure projects across the state.
We could have built more hospitals with this money.
Queenslanders cannot afford for this once-in-a-generation opportunity to be wasted.
The State Government must explain why ambulance ramping rates have climbed to new records highs while fewer people are presenting to our hospital’s emergency departments, over the past 12 months.
New health figures have revealed the State Government’s record-high ambulance ramping rate of 45% occurred in the quarter to June
12 months ago, ambulance ramping was 41%.
Fewer people are presenting to emergency departments but ambulance ramping figures are worsening.
The new figures have exposed serious flaws in the health system and a State Government running out of excuses.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said after months blaming patient presentations as the cause for the Queensland Health Crisis, the State Government needed to start listening to the solutions for a crisis seven years in the making.
“These new numbers show fewer people turned up at emergency departments but more waited longer this year,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“There has been a 4% drop in the number of people turning up at emergency departments but yet ramping has increased by 4%.
“This goes against everything the Premier and Health Minister previously said about patient demand overwhelming the health system.
“The State Government blamed the former Federal Government, patients and covid for the high demand, but these new health figures have revealed a different story.
“Ambulance ramping is now at 45% across Queensland, the highest ever recorded.
“This Government inherited ramping at 15% in 2015, it had already doubled before COVID and now it’s tripled under their watch.
“Some Brisbane Hospitals are nudging towards 70%.
“Redland Hospital has the worst ambulance ramping in Queensland with an increase of 6% to 68%, followed by Logan Hospital and the PA Hospital.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table including more resources, improved triaging, real time data monitoring and allowing front line clinicians the power to effectively run their hospitals, using local expertise and decision making.
“This third term Labor Government has given up on listening.
“During a health crisis the State Government wasted more than $220 million on Wellcamp, and there are severe staff shortages in regional Queensland.
“The State Governemnt isn’t planning to deliver any new hospitals for at least 7 years. Queenslanders need solutions now.”
Shadow Health Minister and registered nurse Ros Bates said all Queenslanders deserve a world class health system no matter where they live.
“These new numbers prove the Palaszczuk Government cannot be trusted to heal the health crisis.
“Not only is ambulance ramping getting worse but they have been misleading Queenslanders about the real reasons why.”
“As a former hospital administrator, I know how stressful it is for our doctors, nurses, paramedics and allied health professionals buckling under a system suffering from 7 years of mismanagement,” Ms Bates said.
“My frontline colleagues deserve more resources and respect.
“Patient care should always be the top priority.
“The embattled Health Minister is absolutely clueless when it comes to fixing the Queensland Health Crisis.”
The scope of the Auditor-General’s investigation into the dodgy Wellcamp deal must be expanded to reveal the whole truth about this sorry saga.
I will be writing to the Auditor-General asking that the investigation is expanded beyond its current scope.
Queenslanders must know how, and why, more than $200 million of taxpayer money was spent on a white elephant.
Someone in the Palaszczuk Government signed this dodgy deal.
Someone in the Palaszczuk Government allowed this wasteful expenditure to go ahead.
Queenslanders must know the truth about ‘Wastecamp’.
The Premier today admitted she knew on Monday that her government was about to mothball the Wellcamp quarantine facility.
Yet on Tuesday, she fronted up to Estimates and did not disclose it to the people of Queensland despite being asked.
The Premier also admitted that she’d discussed the closure of Wellcamp with her Deputy Premier but again, chose to keep it secret.
This is a shameful episode for our state.
Queenslanders deserve so much better from this government.
