Annastacia Palaszczuk’s JobKeeper extension plea is disingenuous and hypocritical, writes Peter Gleeson
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plea for JobKeeper to be extended to help the crippled Queensland tourism industry is disingenuous and hypocritical, writes Peter Gleeson. What’s her government doing to help?
Peter Gleeson
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Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may well be the most popular woman in Queensland, but there is universal disdain for her government in other states and territories.
They see her pandmeic posturing against the Federal Government as a jingoistic jihad. This constant puerile tactic of blaming the feds for everything – from the coronavirus response to the Broncos’ losing streak – is all a bit dreary and predictable.
For the State Government to now suggest JobKeeper and JobSeeker be extended beyond the end of the month to help the crippled tourism industry is disingenuous and hypocritical.
What is the Palaszczuk Government doing to help the tourism industry? A $3 million grant last week. Treasurer Cameron Dick spills that amount around the Cabinet table.
The Commonwealth is stumping up $1.2 billion to go halves with airlines in 800,000 tickets, most of them going to Queensland tourism hot spots such as Cairns, the Whitsundays and the Gold Coast. Let’s be clear.
The Palaszczuk Government - single handedly over the past 12 months - has done enormous harm to Queensland tourism.
By locking down communities and closing borders - unlike NSW’s Gladys Berejeklian who has shown admirable restraint and common sense - tourism companies and airlines are now on the brink. it was the Morrison Government - through its $300 billion welfare assistance package - that kept these companies and employees alive.
It was a big reason Labor was returned on October 31 last year. Many voters had never seen so much money in their bank account. Now, the payments are nearing an end and the State wants to sheet home the blame for surging unemployment to the feds?
If the Palaszczuk Government is fair dinkum about tourism it will stop the madness of border closures and lockdowns, and pump billions into state-sponsored help for the industry that at last count employed 235,000 people and generated $27 billion to the state’s economy.
Only mining is bigger. People in other states see this blame-shifting and lazy reliance on handouts for what it is - shameless politicking at a time when tourism needs certainty and a fiscal plan that secures its future.
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