Treasurer Dick has failed to explain to Queenslanders why he has driven Queensland’s economy to rock-bottom in the past year.
Despite Parliament returning this week for the first time since the Australian National Accounts were released, the Treasurer has remained silent on delivering a big zero for Queensland’s economy.
In the last year, Queensland’s growth per capita was 0%.
While Queensland small businesses are increasingly feeling pressure, weighed down by Cameron Dick’s array of broken tax promises and looking for answers, Cameron Dick is missing in action.
It’s more evidence Labor’s chaos and crisis is costing Queenslanders and Treasurer Dick has failed to deliver the strong economy he promised.
Despite spruiking “economic strength” during the Budget, Cameron Dick has failed to deliver for Queensland.
It’s clear the Treasurer has been more focused on the job he wants, rather than the job he has.
Under Labor, Queensland is at ground-zero, productivity has been decimated and cost-of-living is skyrocketing.
In contrast, only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including saving you paying for Labor’s failures by attracting economic investment to Queensland.
The LNP will reduce Labor Government project overruns and wasteful spending and value every dollar we have.
An LNP Government will also restore the Productivity Commission and grow Queensland’s economy for the benefit of all Queenslanders.
The bar is very low in the Palaszczuk Labor Government for Ministerial accountability.
Yesterday, it dropped even lower with the revelation Mark Bailey had again deliberately covered-up a project cost blowout.
A $3.1 billion blowout.
Budget blowouts are the only things Mark Bailey builds.
Mark Bailey intended to keep it a secret from Queenslanders.
When he was exposed, he lied again to cover-up his deception and failure.
After Mark Bailey’s litany of integrity scandals, accountability failures, botched-roll-outs and deliberate cover-ups, the Premier must take action.
The Premier must sack Minister Bailey from Cabinet.
Anything short of sacking Minister Bailey will reveal the Premier is completely checked out and is simply keeping the seat warm.
Labor’s bar for Ministerial accountability cannot be allowed to remain this low.
Queensland deserves better than Labor’s chaos and crisis.
Labor’s wrong priorities can’t be allowed to continue costing Queenslanders.
Statement by Tony Perrett, Shadow Minister for Fisheries
The callous decision by the Palaszczuk Labor Government to deliberately cut short a critical debate on yet another important issue for Queenslanders proves Labor has given up on listening.
Tonight a debate in Parliament was considering legislation which seeks to disallow new Spanish Mackerel catch limits.
On behalf of Queenslanders the LNP was raising issues like data integrity and Labor’s lack of transparency around this issue.
Instead of listening to concerns of Queenslanders, the Labor Government chose to silence local voices representing regional communities.
Labor deliberately cut the debate short.
This was the opportunity for Members of Parliament to raise issues on behalf of their constituents and expose a stock assessment process that has been widely criticised.
Labor had no interest in listening to the concerns of Queenslanders.
It is a disgrace this debate was guillotined by Labor and once again proves Labor refuses to listen and does not act in the best interests of Queenslanders.
Queenslanders deserve better than the chaos and crisis of Labor.
I am appalled by reports today that Premier Palaszczuk says she was not aware fire ants had spread from Queensland into New South Wales.
How didn’t she know when it’s been on the agenda for days?
This disgraceful ignorance is further proof Labor has never taken the spread of fire ants seriously and Premier Palaszczuk and Labor clearly do not care about this issue.
The internal chaos and crisis of Labor means they have not prioritised containing fire ants and Queenslanders will now pay the price for it.
Labor’s inability to stop the spread of fire ants has been a total failure.
Labor didn’t listen when the LNP and Queenslanders warned them about this issue.
While Labor is infighting, fire ants are marching across Queensland unchecked.
Fire ants are now being detected in tourism hot spots and this could have devastating consequences.
Queenslanders deserve a Government with the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future.
Queenslanders deserve better than the chaos and crisis of Labor.
Nearly 1.3 million hours recorded last financial year
132% increase since Labor took office
Queensland paramedics have recorded nearly 1.3 million overtime hours, in another sign the Queensland Health Crisis has taken a major toll on ambulance officers across the state.
It was the most overtime hours on record for a financial year in Queensland.
The new health data was released by the State Government in a Question on Notice asked by the Opposition and it also revealed a staggering increase of 132% in overtime hours since the Palaszczuk Labor Government took office in 2015.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said our hardworking paramedics were physically, mentally and emotionally tired.
“We’ve listened to paramedics who’ve told us they’ve worked to the brink of exhaustion to keep the health system on the rails,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“The amount of overtime paramedics put in last financial year is a testament to their dedication, determination and work ethic.
“It also shows Queenslanders how demanding their job has become after eight years of poor planning from the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“Queensland has the worst ambulance ramping in the country and that’s not the fault of our paramedics. They didn’t sign up to this vocation to spend an entire shift ramped while other calls from Queenslanders go unanswered.
“Only the LNP has the right priorities for Queensland's future and that includes easier access to health services. We've also put solutions on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis including better resources, better triaging, sharing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.
“Queenslanders have recently seen the heartbreaking and fatal consequences of ambulance ramping and until the Palaszczuk Labor Government accepts the Queensland Health Crisis is real, more families will fall victim of a system under immense pressure.”
Shadow Minister for Health and Ambulance Services Ros Bates said there were 1.3 million reasons why our paramedics deserved more resources and respect.
“This is a staggering amount of overtime, but as a registered nurse and former Hospital administrator, I know these dedicated men and women are passionate about patients,” Ms Bates said.
“Paramedics are the first people we see when an ambulance arrives and we can’t have them stressed and exhausted during a potentially life threatening situation.
“Health Minister Shannon Fentiman has done more apologising than planning during the Queensland Health Crisis.
“After eight years and four Health Ministers, Queenslanders can no longer trust the Palaszczuk Labor Government to fix the health crisis they created.
“This State Labor Government is in chaos and crisis and paramedics and their patients are caught in the middle.
“My message to our hardworking paramedics, doctors, nurses and allied health professionals is simple.
“We thank you, we respect you and we value you what you do.”
The Queensland Health Crisis is getting worse under Labor and today history is repeating itself thanks to another under pressure Labor Health Minster.
On 25 March 2021 Yvette D’Ath held an emergency meeting as ambulance ramping reached record levels.
Today Shannon Fentiman will do the same, and Queensland's ramping rate remains the worst in the nation.
The chaos and crisis of the Labor Government has seen ambulance ramping rise from 15% to the worst in the nation at 43%.
Have they even actioned the recommendations from their ramping roundtable from over two years ago?
The sad reality for Queenslanders is this Government, for nearly a decade, has failed to acknowledge Queensland’s deteriorating health system.
They failed to act, when they should have.
Queensland Health Crisis continues to worsen under Labor
Queenslanders are spending up to 10 hours ramped in ambulances outside Queensland Hospitals, unable to get medical help inside Emergency Departments, it has been revealed.
New data revealed in a Question on Notice has exposed the shocking ambulance ramping patients experienced between May and September.
The alarming wait-times reveal the Queensland Health Crisis continues to worsen under Labor.
The longest times patients spent ramped at hospitals between May and September include:
9hrs 54 mins in June 2023 at Ipswich Hospital
9hrs 52 mins in July 2023 at Ipswich Hospital
9hrs 46 mins in May 2023 at Redland Hospital
8hrs 49mins in July 2023 at Princess Alexandra Hospital
8hrs 49mins in May 2023 at Princess Alexandra Hospital
8hrs 48mins in May 2023 at Redland Hospital
8hrs 40mins in August 2023 at Redland Hospital
8hrs 36 mins in June 2023 at Princess Alexandra Hospital
8hrs 32mins in July 2023 at Redland Hospital
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said Labor’s poor planning, under-resourcing and wrong priorities was leaving Queenslanders without ambulances in their hour of need.
“Queenslanders are sick of waiting for ambulances and sick of waiting for Labor to fix the Queensland Health Crisis,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Despite the heroic efforts of our doctors, nurses and paramedics to hold the system together, Queensland Health is simply falling apart at the seams.
“Queenslanders deserve to know an ambulance will show up in their hour of need and they won’t be stuck waiting on the end of a hospital ramp.
“What will it take for Labor to finally revive our ailing health system, when we have the worst ambulance ramping in the nation?
“Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including easier access to health services by driving-down ambulance ramping and healthcare waitlists.”
Shadow Health Minister and Registered Nurse Ros Bates said Queenslanders were paying a high price for Labor’s wrong priorities.
“Paramedics didn’t study to spend an entire shift at the end of an ambulance ramp, unable to get to urgent calls for help,” Ms Bates said.
“Ambulance ramping isn't simply a number, there are very real consequences when ambulances are ramped for hours on end and it’s costing Queenslanders their lives.
“These shocking waits are the result of Labor’s wrong priorities and failure to resource and run our health system.
“This is another sign of our flat-lining health system, struggling under the weight of Labor’s chaos and crisis.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis including more resources, better triaging, releasing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.”
Livelihoods of hundreds of small businesses left hanging in the balance
The Palaszczuk Labor Government is trying to ram-through major changes to small scale mining claims laws, with potentially catastrophic impacts to hundreds of small and family business operators in Queensland’s Gemfields.
Labor has tried to sneak-through consultation, failing to advise impacted stakeholder about the changes and refusing to conduct in-person consultation, leaving many without the chance to have their say.
Labor’s changes include reducing the term-length for claims and restricting new claims to two renewals, regardless of whether they are being actively mined, limiting hand-mining to a maximum of 15 years and prescribed mining to a maximum of 30-years.
Shadow Minister for Mines Pat Weir said Labor’s changes would impact the livelihood of hundreds of operators and they should be consulted.
“Labor has again shown its complete disregard for Queenslanders and Queensland businesses, trying to keep the changes under-wraps,” Mr Weir said.
“These are the first changes to small-scale claims in history and Labor doesn’t want Queenslanders to know about them.
“Labor’s refusal to conduct in-person public consultation is another example of the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s failure to listen to Queenslanders.
“With such complex changes proposed, anything short of in-person consultation is a deliberate attempt to ram-through Labor’s agenda with complete disregard for Queenslanders.
“Mining claim holders are struggling to grasp the detail of what has been proposed, let alone make informed submissions given the tight timeframe.”
Local MP Lachlan Millar has written to the Minister requesting this extension to the public consultation but is yet to receive a reply.
“Labor must extend consultation to give every Queenslander a chance to understand and provide feedback,” Mr Millar said.
“The LNP is calling on Labor to extend the deadline to be extended to February, with Christmas and New Year period, it’s only fair.
“These changes have the potential to cripple small regional communities and flow-on to local business and the tourism sector.
“An extension is not an unreasonable request, people deserve the chance to fully understand the impact to their livelihood.
“These are not hobby miners, these are people's livelihoods at stake.
“I call on the Minister to himself visit the Gemfields and see first-hand how this could cripple the region, I will personally give him a tour.
“This is another example of Labor’s wrong priorities, Queenslanders deserve better than Labor’s chaos and crisis.”
The Health Minister today must explain how Queensland’s digital medical records system could experience such a catastrophic failure, putting, as health worker say, patient safety at risk.
This is yet another embarrassing bungle on Shannon Fentiman’s watch.
After Labor’s botched roll-out, Queenslanders were promised this wouldn’t happen again.
After hundreds of millions of dollars in program blowouts and multiple outages, we were assured Labor’s failures wouldn’t happen again.
But now clearly Shannon Fentiman has lost control of her portfolio. The IeMR crashes are back.
It’s more chaos and crisis, in the middle of the Queensland Health Crisis, with Queenslanders’ lives on the line.
This places significant pressure on our health workers who are already navigating extraordinary challenges under Labor’s chaos and crisis.
This is what happens when a Minister is more focused on weaselling into the job they want, rather than focusing on the job they have.
It’s another example of Labor’s wrong priorities.
Shannon Fentiman must herself front-up and explain how this outage has happened again under Labor, on her watch.
She refused to front-up at a media conference on the fungal-bungle, she refused to front up at a media conference since the recent ambulance ramping deaths, and today she isn’t fronting-up on the records outage.
Queenslanders deserve answers and the buck stops with Shannon Fentiman.
Hospitals across the State have spent most of today unable to access the digital patient records needed to keep them safe.
Queenslanders deserve better than a Government and Health Minister with the wrong priorities.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli has today outlined a plan for a new Corporate Graduate Program for Queensland’s public service, to rebuild capability from within.
The program is part of the LNP’s announcement to deliver the best home-grown public service in the nation, with a seven-point plan.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the Corporate Graduate Program would be in addition to existing frontline services grad positions and the LNP was committed to building the skills and capacity of Queensland’s public service from within.
“Today we can announce a nation-leading program to attract the best and brightest young minds to Queensland’s public sector and with that, bolstering the skills of our public service,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“The LNP’s Corporate Graduate Program will deliver a consistent pipeline of high-quality talent into Queensland’s public service, who will then be trained and mentored by our most experienced leaders.
“Our valued existing public service will also be given the opportunity to further their careers, skills and education, to continue their important contribution to our great State.
“For too long capacity of the public service has been eroded by Labor’s obsession with consultancies doing the work of the public service.
“The LNP will reinvest in rebuilding our public service with the skills they need to deliver the services and programs for a modern Queensland.
“Over a two-year rigorous program the best and brightest young minds will receive dedicated on-the-ground training and mentoring from the most experienced public service leaders.
The Corporate Graduate Program will be designed in consultation with TAFE, the vocational sector and universities and consist of four six-month placements across multiple departments, with each placement providing exposure to critical skills required within the public service, including:
At the end of four placements, including one based in regional Queensland, graduates will receive a nationally-recognised post graduate certificate in public administration and be offered permanent placements within the public service.
Mr Crisafulli said delivering a home-grown public service with the skills needed to deliver for Queensland’s future was his priority.
“We will build the best home-grown public service in the nation from within, to enable us to tackle the challenges Queensland is facing,” he said.
“Where Labor has eroded our public service, we will rebuild.
“This is our priority because Queenslanders deserve better than Labor’s chaos and crisis.
“Only by rebuilding capability from within the public service can we deliver the Right Priorities for Queensland’s future.
“The LNP is committed to making our community safer, delivering easier access to health services, saving you paying for Labor’s failures, securing our housing foundations and working harder for Queenslanders.”
David Crisafulli launches policy for nation-leading public service
The LNP has today launched a bold policy to build a nation-leading “home-grown” public service, with a seven-point plan to empower and strengthen Queensland’s public sector.
The Leader of the Opposition used his Queensland Media Club speech to unveil initiatives to bolster Queensland’s public service capabilities, including a new Corporate Graduate Program and an independent Public Sector Commission.
The seven-point policy focuses on restoring public service integrity, capability and accountability, by:
Mr Crisafulli said good governments relied on a strong public service to deliver programs and services to secure Queensland’s future.
“Today the LNP has announced it will build the best home-grown public service in the nation, for a modern Queensland,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Our public service policy is a long-term vision to grow the best public service in the nation from within.
“For too long Queensland’s public service has been subjected to Labor’s chaos and crisis, but this will end under an LNP Government.
“Labor’s culture of fear and cover-up will no longer rule decision-making, instead, the LNP will restore integrity, capability and accountability to Queensland’s public service.
“Under the LNP, the days of Ministers’ offices forcing advice to be withheld or changed for fear of reprisals will end, we will empower the public service to unleash fearless and frank advice.
“We will foster a culture where people feel proud to serve in our public service and are proud to help build Queensland’s future.
“We will restore true independence and sever political ties to allow the Public Sector Governance Council to be truly independent, without being stifled by the Premier’s Department.
“We will put an end to constantly outsourcing the work of the public service to the Big 4 consultancy firms and instead rebuild our skills from within.
“This will start with a corporate graduate program, a new two-year dedicated program with rotating placements delivering training across policy and strategy, data and digital, project management, financial acumen and legal and ethics.
“This program will be in addition to our continued focus on frontline service graduates such as doctors, nurses and allied health professionals.
“We will attract the brightest and best young minds to the public service and partner them with the best experienced talent to build the next generation of leaders.”
Mr Crisafulli said a strengthened and empowered public service would be one of the LNP’s key priorities in government.
“Queenslanders deserve better than the era of cost blowouts and poor project management Labor has delivered, which is why our priority is to end the chaos and crisis,” he said.
“Only by growing a Public Service that’s secure in its employment, empowered in decision-making and free to give fearless and frank advice will we be able to overcome the challenges holding Queensland back.
“A strong and empowered public service will allow us to heal the Queensland Health Crisis, ease the Queensland Housing Crisis, tackle the Queensland Youth Crime Crisis and ease the cost-of-living crisis.
“It’s our priority because Queenslanders want a government that delivers for them.
“With the Right Priorities we’re charting a new course for Queensland and building the best public service in the nation is how we plan to get there.”
Responsibility for the Queensland Housing Crisis sits squarely at the feet of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
For close to a decade, land supply has dwindled and house lot approvals have declined.
The warning bells have been sounding for years, but Labor has been too consumed by its own chaos and crisis to heed them.
For years Labor has failed to deliver the housing supply needed for our growing population.
House lot approvals are now the lowest they’ve been since records started 20 years ago, down 30% under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Today, we’ve seen a desperate Government attempting to announce their way out of the housing crisis they created.
Today is a small step in the right direction but Labor has again failed to address the critical issue of housing supply.
Queensland is bottom of the ladder for home ownership and this won’t be solved without improving housing supply.
That’s why the LNP announced our 10-year plan to boost home ownership last month, with a multi-faceted approach to put Queensland on top of the national home ownership ladder.
The LNP's plan to boost home ownership in Queensland includes addressing housing supply, tax relief and incentives.
Only by addressing all three aspects of this issue will more Queenslanders realise their dream of owning a home and we will ease the Queensland Housing Crisis.
The LNP’s priorities are securing our housing foundations by improving housing affordability with more land supply and helping Queenslanders realise their dream of owning their own home.
Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future.
Labor put Queenslanders' lives at risk to play politics
The LNP has always supported the so-called “satellite hospitals” as important additions to our ailing health system.
The LNP has repeatedly said they should not be named “hospitals”, because they’re not.
Queensland Health experts lobbied the Palaszczuk Labor Government to change the name because it was misleading.
Whistle-blowers lifted the lid on just how political this decision was.
Today Queenslanders have learned lives have been put at risk because Labor arrogantly persisted in naming the centres “hospitals”.
This was always a political decision for Labor so they could knowingly mislead voters at the last election.
Queensland voters were blatantly misled about what they were actually getting in their communities.
Labor played politics when Queenslanders’ lives were at risk.
Labor cared more about how things looked than the lives of patients.
Even now, Labor is too arrogant to admit they have endangered lives.
They won’t listen and make a simple name change to protect lives.
They’d rather spend $1.3 million of taxpayers’ money to tell Queenslanders their so-called “hospitals” aren’t hospitals.
This money would be better spent by Labor changing the name rather than backing-in their life-threatening political decision.
Once again, Labor has shown its priorities are all wrong.
Labor is more focused on themselves than what’s best for Queenslanders.
Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future.
The LNP is today calling on Labor to immediately stop taxpayer-funded secret polling and publicly release all results to date.
The LNP has today taken the fight to the floor of Parliament, demanding action from the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Taxpayer money is being surreptitiously used to run the Premier’s re-election campaign.
This cannot be allowed to continue.
Executive government should not be the engine room for Labor’s campaign machine.
$400,000 of taxpayers' money is being funnelled into electioneering that’s so secret the Premier is blocking its release.
What could possibly justify information about Queenslanders being too secret to share with the very people it impacts and who have funded it?
Labor treats executive government and the public service like its own political play-thing.
When Queenslanders’ money is being spent, there must be transparency and accountability.
There is simply no justification for this secret polling to continue or to be locked away from public view.
Queenslanders value integrity in government and their priority is a government that works for Queensland’s best interest.
The only interest Labor is working for is their re-election.
Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future and will restore integrity to government.
An LNP Government will always prioritise the needs of Queenslanders.
Queenslanders deserve better than Labor’s chaos and crisis.
Today, Queenslanders have been given an alarming insight into the wrong priorities of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
It has become abundantly clear Labor is no longer focused on the issues that matter to Queenslanders.
Labor’s priorities are extensive infrastructure cuts, secret taxpayer-funded polling and covert cuts to frontline health staff.
It’s the wrong priorities for Queensland.
Labor’s sole focus is their political preservation, not what’s in Queensland’s best interest.
They’ve stopped listening to Queenslanders and are no longer governing for Queensland.
At a time when our State is facing a youth crime crisis, a cost-of-living crisis, a housing crisis and health crisis, Labor is entirely consumed by their own chaos and crisis.
Instead of prioritising easier access to health services, Labor is trying to underhandedly cut frontline health workers.
Instead of prioritising the infrastructure we need for our growing population, Labor is cutting infrastructure projects across our State.
Instead of prioritising driving-down cost-of-living, Labor is wasting thousands of taxpayer dollars with secret polling designed to help the Premier keep her job.
Instead of prioritising the road, rail and hospital infrastructure to protect our way of life for the future, Labor is cutting critical infrastructure needed for our growing population.
Queenslanders want their government to prioritise working in the best interest of the State, not working on their re-election.
Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including:
The LNP has been listening to Queenslanders and we’re focused on the issues that matter to them.
Queenslanders deserve better than Labor’s chaos and crisis.
Palaszczuk Labor Government’s housing failures cost Queenslanders
Alarming reports today that Queensland has become the most unaffordable place to rent in Australia is yet another example of how Queenslanders are paying for Labor’s failures.
In the past year Queenslanders have experienced the largest rent increases of anywhere in Australia at 9.5%, while also facing record-low availability of rentals at 0.87%.
The Queensland Housing Crisis is a direct result of Labor failing to release land ahead of population growth, with residential lot approvals plummeting 30% during the last decade under Labor.
Shadow Minister for Housing Tim Mander said the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s chaos and crisis was costing Queenslanders dearly.
“Never before has there been a more difficult time to find, secure or keep a roof over your head in Queensland, than now under the Palaszczuk Labor Government,” Mr Mander said.
“Queenslanders are fighting against the lowest rental vacancies on record and the biggest rental rises in the nation, the situation is dire and getting worse.
“Some Regional Queenslanders are now paying more than half of their income on rent in this Queensland Housing Crisis.
“Regional Queenslanders are paying a devastatingly high price for a decade-long Government failure to plan and deliver the land and housing we need.
“Our State is in the grip of a housing crisis fuelled by a lack of new homes to accommodate our growing population, pushing rents out of reach for too many Queenslanders.
“New houses have gone backward by nearly one-third, all while our population continues to grow, as forecasted.
“The Queensland Housing Crisis has not happened overnight, Queenslanders have watched Labor fail to plan and deliver and now we are living the results.
“Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including securing our housing foundations.
“Our priorities include improving housing affordability with more land supply and developing timely plans to identify what infrastructure and services are needed to accommodate our population.”
Palaszczuk Labor Government falls further behind critical reform milestones
One year on from a landmark report into domestic and family violence, critical reform has stalled, with the Palaszczuk Labor Government missing key deadlines.
The A Call for Change report outlined clear deadlines for the Government to implement changes across Departments and agencies, including 38 actions due at 12-months.
Today marks exactly one year since Labor first received the A Call for Change report.
Not only has the Government admitted they’ve failed to meet the deadline, they can’t say when they will be able to implement the changes.
Shadow Minister for the Prevention of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence, Amanda Camm said there should be no excuses for failing to meet promised reform milestones.
“Alarmingly, the Palaszczuk Labor Government is falling further behind its own targets to deliver the landmark action they promised against domestic and family violence,” Ms Camm said.
“Not a single woman or child will be kept safer in Queensland by an announcement.
“This can’t become another example of Labor failing to deliver, this is too important, lives are at stake.
“The courage of brave victims and whistleblowers must result in genuine reform, not be left behind in Labor’s chaos and crisis. Queenslanders deserve to know everything is being done to keep victims safe.
“After the second progress report, 41% of recommendations were incomplete and now they’re falling even further behind.
“Queenslanders deserve the genuine reform on domestic and family violence they were promised, not more of Labor’s chaos and crisis.”
The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s promised “tough” crackdown on youth crime has been exposed as a political stunt, after it was revealed not one juvenile offender has received the new maximum penalty for car theft, despite a major rise in the number of stolen cars across Queensland.
Labor’s so-called “tough” laws were part of a “10-point plan” announced by the Premier late last year.
The stunning revelation that not one juvenile offender has received the “tough” maximum sentence as promised has intensified calls for the Palaszczuk Government to listen to Queenslanders and adopt the LNP’s plan to remove detention as a last resort from the Youth Justice Act.
The legislative failure was exposed in a new Parliamentary Question on Notice.
It comes as damning new analysis of Queensland Police Service statistics uncovered a rise in car thefts in Brisbane North, Brisbane South, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Bundaberg, Gladstone, Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville over a 12 month period.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the Labor Government sees the youth crime crisis as a political issue and not a real problem facing thousands of Queenslanders.
“This was a cobbled together announcement that was big on political preservation but small on the protection of people," Mr Crisafulli said.
“The State Government must admit this stunt has failed and adopt the LNP’s policy of removing detention as a last resort to ensure hardcore repeat offenders are dealt with.”
Shadow Police Minister Dale Last said Queenslanders have lost trust in the Premier.
“This was Labor’s signature policy in their latest 10-point plan to combat youth crime in December 2022, but nearly a year later not one young offender has received the maximum penalty,” Mr Last said.
“This is an insult to the Queenslanders who’ve been terrorised in their home at night and had their car stolen.
“Labor talks tough but their follow-through is hopeless and Queenslanders are sick of the fake promises.
“Soft laws, 204 fewer police and a tired third term Labor Government, is it any wonder Queensland is in the middle of a crime crisis?”
Biggest rental rises in nation with worst-ever vacancy rates
This is the price we’re paying for Labor
New reports have exposed the double-whammy Queensland renters are facing, with the State becoming increasingly unaffordable to rent in.
While Queenslanders have experienced the biggest rent increases of anywhere in the nation in the past year at 9.5%, they’re also facing record-low availability of rentals at 0.87%.
Under nearly a decade of Labor, lot and building approvals have both declined by 30 per cent, sending rents and house prices soaring.
Queensland now has more than 40,000 people waiting for social housing, priced-out or unable to secure rental properties in the middle of a Housing Crisis.
This is the price Queenslanders are paying for the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Shadow Minister for Housing Tim Mander said Labor must how take responsibility for their decade of housing failure.
“Never before has there been a more difficult time to find, secure or keep a roof over your head in Queensland, under the Palaszczuk Labor Government,” Mr Mander said.
“Queenslanders now are fighting against the lowest rental vacancies on record and the biggest rental rises in the nation, the situation is dire and getting worse.
“Over nearly a decade this Government has failed to plan for where new housing could be built, it’s failed to release the land needed for new homes and it’s failed to deliver the social housing we so desperately need.
“Queensland families have never faced more pressure at the hands of a Labor Government in chaos and crisis.
“The time for refusing to admit they created the Queensland Housing Crisis has passed, it’s now time for Labor to take accountability.
“We need genuine action to ease the Queensland Housing Crisis and Labor clearly has the wrong priorities.
“Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s future, including securing our housing foundations by improving housing affordability with more land supply.
“An LNP Government would also prioritise developing plans to identify what services and infrastructure is needed to accommodate our growing population.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table to ease the Queensland Housing Crisis, including prioritising infrastructure partnerships with local government to unlock more land for housing, unleashing the community housing sector and setting KPIs and delivering social housing projects on-time and on-budget.”
Queenslanders waiting 24+ hours in Emergency Departments
375% increase since 2015
Damning figures have revealed the horror decline of Queensland’s Health System during the past nine years of the Palaszczuk Labor Government, with thousands of patients spending more than 24 hours in packed emergency departments.
The data shows the number of Queenslanders languishing in emergency departments for 24 hours or more has skyrocketed by 375% since Labor came to power.
A staggering 17,930 patients spent longer than 24 hours inside the emergency department in 2022/23, compared to just 3,772 patients in 2015/16.
In the last financial year, 17,930 patients endured a 24 hour stint in Emergency.
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said these numbers were another scary consequence of the chaos and crisis of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“These figures are startling and paints a picture of Labor's chaos and crisis,” Ms Bates said.
“They’re a direct result of a government that’s failed to plan, resource and run Queensland Health adequately for nine years.
“More than 17,000 patients spent 24 hours or more in emergency departments in the last financial year, how much longer will Queenslanders have to wait for the health system to be fixed?
“There is clinical evidence which suggests extended periods spent in the ED can lead to negative or adverse health outcomes.
“As a nurse and former hospital administrator, I know how frustrating and potentially dangerous it is for patients to be spending this long in an emergency department.
“Equally, I know how concerning it would be to staff to see their patients placed in these situations.
“Our doctors and nurses are exhausted because they’re working double and triple shifts.
"All Queenslanders should be proud of their dedication to keep the system going.
“After three terms in office, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has given up on listening to Queenslanders.
“A reliable health system is a priority for Queenslanders, but Labor has the wrong priorities.
"Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland's Future, including easier access to health services.
“We’ve put solutions on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis, including better resources, better triaging, sharing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.”
Queensland facing biggest cost rises in nation
Palaszczuk Labor Government failures cost Sunshine Coast
New inflation data has revealed Queenslanders are facing extreme cost-of-living pressures on household budgets, experiencing the steepest cost increases nation-wide, under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
In the past year, Sunshine Coast residents have paid skyrocketing cost rises across housing, health, transport and insurance, after State Government decisions sent prices soaring.
Skyrocketing costs experienced across Queensland include:
These costs are critical State Government responsibilities and have been directly impacted by decisions of the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Shadow Assistant Minister for Cost-of-Living Dan Purdie said Queensland's cost-of-living figures were a damning indictment of the Palaszczuk Labor Government’s chaos and crisis.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government has driven-up living costs for Queenslanders, when they should have been easing cost-of-living,” Mr Purdie said.
“At a time when families need to carefully manage their household budgets, they expect their Government to carefully manage its Budget and drive-down costs for Queenslanders.
“Labor’s failures are costing Queenslanders in the hip pocket every day and Sunshine Coast residents are paying more because the Palaszczuk Labor Government has the wrong priorities.
“When a government fails to invest in our road network, it’s Queensland motorists who see their fuel bills grow through rising congestion.
“When a government lets youth crime get out of control, it’s Queenslanders who see their insurance go through the roof.
“Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including saving you paying for Labor’s failures.
“The LNP will prioritise structural cost-of-living relief for Sunshine Coast residents, while still delivering the services Queenslanders need and expect.”
The LNP will save you paying for Labor’s failures by:
Shadow Police Minister Dale Last has today outlined the LNP’s Right Priorities to make our community safer and is demanding Labor to adopt them, as Cairns residents continue to live through the harrowing impacts of the Queensland Youth Crime Crisis.
Alarmingly, new analysis of the Crime Crisis under the Palaszczuk Labor Government has revealed in Cairns:
Shadow Police Minister Dale Last said Cairns residents were fed-up with Labor’s weak laws and falling police numbers that had left the community living in fear.
“Residents right across Far North Queensland are experiencing first-hand the very real impacts of the Queensland Youth Crime Crisis, and they’re looking for answers,” Mr Last said.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government’s weak laws and fewer police have left the Far North to pay a high price.
“They created a generation of untouchables after watering down the laws in 2015.
“For too long, Labor has had the wrong priorities for Queensland, they’re more focused on themselves than fixing the Queensland Youth Crime Crisis.
“Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including making our community safer.
“We’ve been listening to Queenslanders, this is a key priority for the LNP because it is a priority for them.”
The LNP’s Right Priorities to make our community safer include:
“The LNP has put solutions on the table to start tackling Queensland’s Youth Crime Crisis, including creating consequences for actions, unshackling the judiciary by removing detention as a last resort and delivering gold standard early intervention,” Mr Last said.
“Queenslanders deserve better than Labor’s chaos and crisis.”
MORE QUEENSLANDERS WAITING LONGER FOR CRITICAL SURGERIES
The Palaszczuk Labor Government has failed to fix the decline in elective surgery targets, after it was revealed more Queensland patients weren’t seen within the clinically recommended timeframe.
The damning new health statistics revealed 40% of elective surgery patients in Hervey Bay and Maryborough weren’t seen on time, which is more than double the Queensland average of 19% in the September quarter.
Maryborough recorded the largest yearly increase in Queensland at 33%, followed by Hervey Bay at 20%.
Alarmingly, annual increases were also recorded in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Gladstone, Toowoomba and Dalby.
Shadow Health Minister Ros Bates said regional Queenslanders continue to pay the price for the chaos and crisis that has engulfed the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
“These aren’t just numbers on a spreadsheet, like the hopeless Health Minister says, these are real Queenslanders desperate for their surgeries,” Ms Bates said.
“All Queenslanders deserve a world class health system no matter where they live, but once again regional Queenslanders are being treated like second class citizens.
“What has this Labor government been doing for the past nine years to improve patient outcomes for Queenslanders and keep up with population growth?
“Tens of thousands of Queenslanders are stuck on the waitlist and a higher percentage of them aren’t seen on time.
“After nine years, three terms and four Health Ministers, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has stopped listening to Queenslanders and doesn’t have a plan to fix the Queensland Health Crisis.
“The LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland including delivering easier access to health services, driving down ambulance ramping, empowering local decision makers, providing more healthcare professionals through retention and attraction, building hospitals on time and on budget, improving hospital performance through real-time data and re-opening maternity services in regional Queensland.
“It took Shannon Fentiman nearly 130 days to release the latest health data, and now we know why.
“The Queensland Health Crisis is only getting worse under Labor.
“Regional Queenslanders deserve better.”
LABOR’S CHARADE WON’T HELP QUEENSLANDERS
Only the LNP is standing up for Queensland's fair share
As Queenslanders remain in the dark about Labor's proposed 90-day infrastructure review, State and Federal Labor have fabricated a fake fight in an underhanded bid to dupe Queenslanders.
Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Planning Jarrod Bleijie said the reality was this chaotic Palaszczuk Labor Government had not fought or stood up for Queensland once throughout this entire process.
"It’s been 181 days since the proposed 90-day review was announced and now Cameron Dick expects Queenslanders to believe he hasn’t been in on the whole thing?" Mr Bleijie said.
"The Labor Government has sat silently during this entire process because they were in on the whole plan and are trying to manufacture a fake fight at the 11th hour, after waving the white flag throughout.
“The office addresses for Labor Treasurer Chalmers and Labor Treasurer Dick’s are 2a and 2b in the same Logan shopping centre.
“They are literally side by side.
“There is no one who believes this entire fake fight hasn’t been concocted by the two Labor Treasurers.
“One day Cameron Dick is whispering through the walls to his Labor mate about their plans and the next day he wants us to believe he’s suddenly standing for Queensland after saying absolutely nothing for 181 days?
"There are more than $14 billion worth of infrastructure projects on Labor’s chopping block and it's Queenslanders who are set to pay the price for Labor’s failures.
“This is the price Queenslanders are paying for Labor’s chaos and crisis.
"Whether it's the Sunshine Coast Direct Passenger Line, the Mooloolah River Interchange, or Beams Road Level Crossing, the projects now under threat are crucial to the State's growth.
"Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s future which is why when Labor didn’t, the record will show only the LNP stood up for Queensland."
More patients wait as surgery waitlist soars to historic high
Ramping remains chronically high and worst in nation
Labor fails to heal Queensland Health Crisis
New Queensland Health data released today has exposed the Queensland Health Crisis continues to worsen under the Palaszczuk Labor Government.
Data released today reveals ambulance ramping remains significantly worse than the same time two years ago and close to three-times higher than when the Palaszczuk Labor Government was first elected.
Shockingly, elective surgery waitlists have soared again and are now the longest on record for the September quarter under this Government.
Key health metrics for the September quarter include:
Only Labor would attempt to dress-up these dismal results as anything other than a disaster and an indictment on Minister Fentiman.
Today, Shannon Fentiman must answer key questions about the Queensland Health Crisis:
Shadow Health Minister and Registered Nurse Ros Bates said it was clear the health system was still flatlining and there was no end to the Queensland Health Crisis in sight.
“Today we’ve learned the Queensland Health Crisis continues to deepen under the Palaszczuk Labor Government and Queenslanders continue to pay the price,” Ms Bates said.
“Queenslanders experiencing the failures of the health system first-hand know the Queensland Health Crisis isn’t improving and want answers.
“These results are not the fault of our hardworking health professionals, they are the result of a Government in chaos and crisis, failing to resource and run our health system.
“It’s a priority for Queenslanders to be able to rely on their health system and know when they call for an ambulance, when they need surgery or when they need to see a specialist, they’ll get the help they need.
“It’s Queenslanders’ priority, which is why it’s our priority.
“Only the LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table to heal the Queensland Health Crisis including better resources, better triaging, sharing data in real-time and putting doctors and nurses back in charge to improve patient care.”
Opposition listens to Sunshine Coast victims at community crime breakfast
Brave Queenslanders affected by the crime crisis have shared their harrowing stories and demanded the Palaszczuk Labor Government take immediate action, during a community crime breakfast hosted by the LNP Opposition on the Sunshine Coast today.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli and LNP candidate for Noosa Clare Stewart listened to local crime victims and outlined the Opposition’s priorities to make our communities safer, including:
Mr Crisafulli said Sunshine Coast locals were sick of living in fear.
“The stories we heard this morning were raw and deeply moving,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Families have been terrorised in their homes and businesses have been repeatedly targeted.
“The frustration with the lack of action from the Labor Government is real.”
Acting Shadow Attorney General Deb Frecklington said Queenslanders were paying a high price for Labor’s weak laws and falling police numbers.
“It’s not good enough and Queenslanders deserve better,” Ms Frecklington said.
“That’s why making our community safer is a key priority of the LNP because it is a priority for Queenslanders.
“The LNP has put solutions on the table to start tackling Queensland’s Youth Crime Crisis, including creating consequences for actions, unshackling the judiciary by removing detention as a last resort and delivering gold standard early intervention.
“We will continue to listen to Queenslanders and fight to combat crime.
“Queenslanders have experienced more violent crime from youth offenders who have no fear of consequences for their actions.”
Shadow Minister for Police Dale Last said there were 204 fewer police officers on our streets under Labor.
“Weaker laws and fewer police, is it any wonder we’re in the middle of the Queensland Crime Crisis?” Mr Last said.
“Labor has created a generation of untouchables after they watered down the laws in 2015.”
LNP Candidate for Noosa Clare Stewart said the Sunshine Coast wasn’t immune to the Queensland Crime Crisis.
“More and more local families are coming forward with horror stories,” Ms Stewart said.
“After nearly nine years in office, the Palaszczuk Labor Government has stopped listening to Queenslanders.”
