Annastacia Palaszczuk, Deb Frecklington must provide economic plan
What Queensland needs from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk – and the woman who wants to win her job next month – is a clear plan to revive the economy. Both claim to have one, but people in business in this state will tell you otherwise.
Opinion
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IT should not surprise that a slew of polling indicates the looming Queensland election will be a seat-by-seat dogfight between the Labor and Liberal National parties.
While some pundits have bravely predicted an Annastacia Palaszczuk victory because of the COVID-19 crisis, The Courier-Mail’s YouGov research has consistently shown the election is on a knife’s edge.
Clearly, Ms Palaszczuk has reached a similar conclusion given yesterday she linked the election outcome with her government’s cockamamie approach to granting border exemptions: “If it means I have to lose the election, I will risk all that if it means keeping Queenslanders safe,” she said. “I will always stand up for what I believe to be right in this state.”
Ms Palaszczuk’s posturing would be cold comfort to people unable to properly farewell loved ones who have died, or those denied access to timely medical care because of her hardline approach with the border.
These are the real victims here. Not the Premier.
What Queenslanders need from Ms Palaszczuk – and Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington, too – is a clear plan to resuscitate the state’s economy. Both claim they have one. But ask those in business, and they will tell you that’s not true.
And yet in another strikingly poor observation yesterday – one that indicates such a plan is unlikely, at least from Labor, before October 31 – the Premier tried to argue that Queensland’s economy was performing well as a result of her government’s management of the virus outbreak.
“We have a track record of our economy going strong because we have put in place a good health response,” she said.
Going strong? Really? Who is she trying to con? Like everywhere else in Australia (and globally), Queensland is in the grip of a terrible recession that economists say will take years to recover from.
Because of the ban on international visitors and restrictions on domestic travellers, tourism is on its knees.
The government’s recent economic update unveiled a dire picture with revenue plummeting and debt soaring towards $100 billion.
Meanwhile, Queensland’s jobless rate of 8.5 per cent is forecast to hardly ease at all by the middle of next year.
These figures should be a call to arms for government, and the genesis of reform to drive investment and create jobs. Yet the Premier seems to think Queensland can mount a recovery on the back of what it was already doing before COVID-19. It really is perverse.
Former premier Peter Beattie has some ideas, which featured in yesterday’s Courier-Mail, and which Ms Palaszczuk should heed.
In particular, his view that Queensland needed to establish “points of difference” with other states and nations to draw investment.
The government has tinkered with business attraction schemes. While there have been some successes, these appeal mostly to individual rent seekers rather than entire industries.
Mr Beattie used as an example the Bjelke-Petersen government’s decision to end death duties as an example of a point of difference that could work for Queensland.
Thankfully, Ms Palaszczuk did not dismiss Mr Beattie as just a dude from Sydney, as she did the last time he made a contribution to public discourse. However, if the polls are right, the Premier is running out of time to present a proper economic recovery plan.
FIRING ON A GAS STRATEGY
Energy policy is a vital component of any pathway to economic recovery for Australia in a post-COVID world.
Getting the settings right and ensuring a steady supply of reliable energy combined with lower prices will be a major step towards ensuring jobs in the nation’s manufacturing sector and easing pressure on struggling households.
Today’s expected announcement by the Morrison government of a gas-led recovery plan is a welcome move to bring confidence back to the sector.
And putting Queensland at the forefront of the strategy by locating the major hub in western Queensland and opening three new gas fields in the state will be an enormous boost for local workers.
Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details are available at www.couriermail.com.au/help/contact-us