Parliament battle heats up as Crisafulli unveils major policy

Premier Steven Miles has accused Opposition Leader David Crisafulli of plagiarising the government’s plans to ease the state’s critical housing crunch. 

Premier Steven Miles has accused Opposition Leader David Crisafulli of plagiarising the government’s plans to ease the state’s critical housing crunch, while Labor has come under fire over the 21-month average wait time for social housing.

See how Question Time played out below.

Updates

11:20 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

$1.4bn extra to fund existing hospital projects, not more beds

Member for Theodore Mark Boothman has asked the Premier whether the government will deliver additional hospital beds to the original 2200 promised under its hospital build program after an additional $1.4bn was added to the program in the State Budget.

The Premier said additional funds were added to the program to deliver existing projects.

"In recent years, all sectors of construction have experienced some degree of cost escalation," he said.

"When the costs of those projects go up, you either need to fund them like we are or cut them like they (LNP) will."

11:18 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Sweet work goes sour: Premier calls for Wilmar to put forward acceptable deal for workers

Madura McCormack

Premier Steven Miles has again called for Australia’s largest sugar producer Wilmar to bring a damaging ongoing stoush with workers to an end by putting forward an acceptable workplace agreement.
Opposition resources spokesman and Burdekin MP Dale Last asked Mr Miles what action the government had taken to resolve the time critical issue.
The company temporarily halted mill operations after workers threatened to go on strike amid a breakdown in enterprise bargaining negotiations.
“Whilel I have some awareness of the dispute between Wilmar and their workforce as they seek to negotiate a new enterprise bargaining agreement, it is as I understand it, a dispute governed by the Australian Government's Fair Work Act,” Mr Miles said.
“The state government doesn't have any role at all in those negotiations. I have, though, when asked publicly, encouraged for parties to reach an agreement and I've encouraged Wilmar to put an offer on the table that their workforce can accept.”

11:06 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Greens press Premier on 21-month wait for social housing

South Brisbane Greens MP Amy MacMahon asks the Premier about why the government has allowed social housing wait times for Queenslanders with high needs blow out to and average of 21 months.

The premier said the population increase had forced people into housing stress and homelessness.

“We are delivering more temporary supported accommodation, we’ve expanded our immediate housing relief program for emergency accommodation, " he said.

"We’ll continue to fund our renter’s relief package to avoid people entering homelessness."

Ms MacMahon’s question comes just one day after she claimed the Greens would pick up more seats off Labor due to the current state of the housing crisis.

– Rose Innes

11:06 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Carpark needed to play 'beautiful' Noosa Golf Club

Hayden Johnson

Independent Noosa MP Sandy Bolton has asked Resources Minister Scott Stewart if he'd update her on efforts to improve carparking at Noosa Golf Club.

He said golf tourism was significant for the region and said hitting a golf ball at the Noosa Golf Club was majestic.

"It will require that additional carpark… I can advise we would love to be able to sit down with you," he told Ms Bolton.

11:01 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Treasurers battle over bonds

Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki has asked Treasurer Cameron Dick about what advice he has received on likely yields on new QTCU bonds issuing.

Mr Dick dished out general borrowing figures as part of Queensland's capital program, with general borrowing forecast at $103.2bn in 2026-27 – which he says is $6.5bn higher than what was forecast in last years' budget update.

But he did not refer to QTCU bonds advice or reports.

Mr Dick reiterated that Queensland had maintained a stable credit rating while borrowing money at "about the same rate" as other states, including WA which has got a AAA credit rating.

-Taylah Fellows

10:50 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Grace doubles down on refusal to release Jones texts

Madura McCormack

State Development Minister Grace Grace has declined to release the unredacted full suite of text messages between herself and former Labor Minister Kate Jones.
Opposition small business spokesman Brent Mickelberg asked if Ms Grace would do so “in the interests of openness” and also confirm in what capacity Ms Jones contacted the Minister.
“No, I respect the RTI process,” Ms Grace said.
Mr Mickelberg then interjected from across the room “who broke the law”.
He withdrew the comment.
Ms Grace has not come under fire during Question Time to this extent in recent years.

10:46 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

'I don't read her messages': Premier quiet on Grace, Jones link

LNP Integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson asked the Premier about media reports showing texts between Minister Grace Grace and Kate Jones about a proposal from an unnamed company in negotiations with the Miles Government.

A series of text messages between Ms Jones and Ms Grace was released to The Australian under Right to Information laws however, details of the negotiations and meetings between Ms Jones and Ms Grace and other senior ministers have remained secret, despite those arranged meetings potentially being an example of Ms Jones acting as an unregistered lobbyist.

"I don't monitor all of her text messages," Mr Miles said.

“As I understand it, all appropriate RTI process have been followed and all information that should be released under those RTI process have now been released."

The premier said he was not privy to any further information that had not been released or reported publicly.

– Rose Innes

10:41 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Grace refuses to name company linked with Kate Jones

Hayden Johnson

Shadow Attorney-General Tim Nicholls has asked State Development Minister Grace Grace for the name of the company former Labor Minister Kate Jones spoke to her about.

Ms Grace refused to answer the question, but accused the LNP of hypocrisy.

"I stand by the RTI process," she said.

She wouldn't give the name, despite the LNP attempting to bring her back to the "very simple question".

10:37 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Premier denies union problem after some 10,000 lost days

Opposition Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie has asked the Premier what he would do to address the "growing militance" of the CFMEU and its impact on productivity.

It comes after the Courier-Mail revealed the state lost a staggering 9400 work days to union action in a single quarter — more than all other jurisdictions combined.

Mr Miles said the government would continue to uphold and respect the rights of workers and their right to campaign for better working conditions.

He accused Mr Bleijie and the LNP of implying, through the question, that they would prefer to strip the right to strike from workers.

"Its misleading to cherry pick one quarter and suggest that amounts to a trend," he said, adding that ABS data show no hours were lost within the public sector.

-Taylah Fellows

10:28 am June 13, 2024 Highlight

Plagiarism claim as LNP releases housing plan

Madura McCormack

Premier Steven Miles has accused Opposition Leader David Crisafulli of plagiarising the government’s plans to ease the state’s critical housing crunch.

Mr Crisafulli asked the Premier if the housing crisis had at all eased in Queensland after Mr Miles last year promised to solutions at a summit last year.

Mr Miles said the government had implemented a “wide range of policies” that emerged from the housing summit and released a “comprehensive, fully costed Home for Queenslanders plan”.

“The very plan where the Leader of the Opposition has stolen the ideas that he intended to announce today,” he said.

"Stolen our homework."