Labor’s unjust vegetation management laws will devastate Queensland farmers and destroy desperately needed jobs in the bush, LNP Leader Deb Frecklington said tonight.
On a day when a corruption scandal is engulfing the Queensland Labor Party in Ipswich, Ms Frecklington said it was a disgrace Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Labor Government had abused their numbers and rammed their vegetation management laws through Parliament.
"This arrogant Labor Government silenced the voice of our farmers and rural and regional Queensland tonight by ramming their contentious and damaging vegetation management laws through Parliament," Ms Frecklington said.
"To deny Members of Parliament the opportunity to speak freely on these controversial laws underlines how little Labor cares for farmers.
"They even broke their own new ‘family friendly’ sitting hours to pass these very ‘farmer unfriendly’ laws.
"Labor didn’t listen to farmers and they didn’t listen to Members of Parliament.
"By gagging debate on these laws, Annastacia Palaszczuk showed she couldn’t care less about Queensland farming families and rural communities."
Ms Frecklington said debate on Labor’s controversial laws should have been allowed to continue at the next sitting of Queensland Parliament.
"Annastacia Palaszczuk is supposed to govern for all Queenslanders. Tonight, with the passing of these laws, Annastacia Palaszczuk has robbed regional communities of their future," she said.
"All she cares about is sweeping up green preferences in inner-Brisbane electorates.
"Annastacia Palaszczuk has refused to support sensible amendments by the LNP and Labor’s regional MPs haven’t lifted a finger to help their communities.
"Farmers are the custodians of our land, but this Premier thinks they are criminals."
Ms Frecklington said she was staggered that Labor was locking up almost a million hectares of agricultural land while two-thirds of the state was still drought-declared and outback youth unemployment had risen to 59 per cent.
"The pain won’t just be felt in the bush – every Queenslander will be hit at the checkout," she said.
