Inside story: How does the Opposition end Labor’s growing love affair with the Gold Coast
The 2023-24 State Budget fires off the first election shot. A record $2.3 billion Gold Coast spend This is Labor saying it loves the Glitter Strip, so how can the Opposition respond?
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The 2023-24 state budget fires off the first election shot. A record $2.3 billion Gold Coast spend. This is Labor saying it loves the Glitter Strip, so how can the Opposition respond?
This “big build” theme continues Labor’s decades long narrative about building the light rail, upgrading the M1 and constructing the stadiums at Robina and Carrara.
Now it is doing the heavy lifting on the Coomera Connector and the trams to the airport while creating more hospitals in the north and south.
The LNP response is “too little too late”. Mudgeeraba MP and frontbencher Ros Bates noted the Merrimac train station, first announced in 2017, was a long way off breaking ground.
“In classic Labor fashion, Merrimac train station which was announced along with two other train stations at a cost of $120 million, is now edging closer to a $500 million project,” she said.
But in next 18 months, Labor’s only Coast MP, Meaghan Scanlon, can drive 20 minutes either way on the M1 and put on a hard hat for a construction site photo opportunity.
In pre-polling in late 2017 before Ms Scanlon won Gaven, Surfers Paradise LNP MP John-Paul Langbroek gave some honest answers to your columnist about the Newman Government and how an conservative government under new leader Tim Nicholls would be different.
Mr Langbroek said: “In our term whilst we completed light rail and funded the Commonwealth Games, there is no doubt because of focus on repairing the budget on time that we didn’t do as much for the Gold Coast in our term as we could have …”
Transport Minister Mark Bailey, responded in a column that it was “outrageous” that the Newman Government failed to complete any upgrades to the M1 leading into the Commonwealth Games.
“The LNP talk big, but sadly they are little lambs when it comes to delivering infrastructure for the Gold Coast,” he wrote.
A Council source suggests the LNP must not just be an opposition now and “whinge” about Government. They must produce and promote a costed alternative budget.
“I totally get it that they have to hold them into account. I think to this credit, (leader David) Crisafulli is good at saying we will do things differently. But they need to say how they going to fund and deliver these upgrades,” the source said.
In the Fadden by-election, the LNP is letter dropping voters about cost of living pressures.
But Labor at state budget had signage saying “Queensland’s action on Tackling the Cost of Living”. Ms Scanlon, who is hard working and young, is now the Housing Minister.
The Opposition need to be smarter, target Labor on its weaknesses. The Budget was largely silent about frontline workers. Can Labor recruit enough more police and nurses?
The police budget did not gain headlines other than mention of $100 million for the youth justice program which includes “extreme high visibility police patrols”.
A cop source says: “Police are saying we will only do the patrols if we work double time. And what are they going to do. Make us wear pink and purple hats.”
It’s the best budget line which will make Labor leaders see red — and not in a good way.
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Originally published as Inside story: How does the Opposition end Labor’s growing love affair with the Gold Coast
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