Qld parliament live blog: State budget put under microscope

Treasurer Cameron Dick's fifth and final budget this term has dominated Question Time as the Opposition ripped into the government.

Hayden Johnson, Madura McCormack, Taylah Fellows and Rose Innes

less than 2 min read

June 12, 2024 - 9:13AM

Queensland budget will plunge into deficit as govt attempt to win back support

Treasurer Cameron Dick's fifth and final budget this term has dominated Question Time as the Opposition ripped into the government.

See how question time unfolded below.

Updates

'Sinkhole effect' in the regions cause for concern

Traeger MP Robbie Katter asked the Premier about the decline of public servants in the regions and what the Premier would do to stop a "sinkhole effect" of populations moving to the southeast.

The premier said the future of Queensland would partly rely on building the northwest.

"To achieve that we will need towns and workforces and supporting public services to deliver on those goals," he said.

The Premier said Mr Katter made and important point about where Queensland places its public servants and said his government was working hard to attract processing facilities to regions of Queensland to deliver greater jobs and economic benefit to the north.

-Rose Innes

'Black spots' in prison CCTV yet to be fixed

Hayden Johnson

Mirani MP Stephen Andrew noted "well known black spots" in the CCTV at the Capricorn Correctional Facility had been rectified by the government despite recommendations from the Crime and Corruption Commission and coroner.

Corrective Services Minister Nikki Boyd said she had met with union delegates about their priorities in the facility.

"We will continue to invest in our correctional facilities and in the safety of our correctional facilities and I'm happy to provide the member for Mirani any specific update around the Capricorn Correctional Facility and the work that we're doing now," she said.

Treasurer unloads after question on Queensland's credit spread

Shadow Treasurer David Janetzki has asked Treasurer Cameron Dick what the impact has been on Queensland's credit spread following the material increase in debt and resulting refinancing of debt.

Mr Dick jeered that the Shadow Treasurer had finally got a question in on Budget day, but dodged the question, saying the AA+ credit rating was stable and his management of state debt responsible.

Two points of order were raised by the LNP in an attempt to have the question about credit spread answered, with Mr Janetzki teasing that he would be happy to explain the difference between credit rating and credit spread to the Treasurer.

Mr Dick did not refer to credit spreading but said Queensland was borrowing at the same rate as WA, before unloading on Mr Janetzki.

"I will not be lectured to on credit spread, on the cost of credit, on credit writings, on the cost of debt, by a man who says nothing to Queensland about their plan," he said.

-Taylah Fellows

Past predicts future: Farmer misses memo on LNP attack

Hayden Johnson

Education Minister Di Farmer might have dented the government's hopes of distancing itself from the eight-year Palaszczuk government

All morning Labor MPs have been pointing out this is a "new" government, a "first budget" by the Miles government.

Ms Farmer, however, didn't seem to get the memo during an attack on the LNP.

"Past behavior is always our best predictor of future behavior," she said.

Premier defends crime plan

LNP spokeswoman for Youth Crime Laura Gerber asks the Premier if telling Queenslander’s to forget about the past, means they have forgotten those who have lost their lives to youth crime, like Vyleen White.

Premier Steven Miles said since December, the government had introduced its new community safety plan, which was built on in the budget.
"We have outlined and comprehensive plans to address community safety," he said.

"Our community safety plan invests in the programs that we know are working including in high visibility policing, and I've just now been able to advise the house how we are weeks away from hitting record numbers of police in the in the system."

-Rose Innes

Energy rebates just an electoral buzz: LNP

Madura McCormack

Premier Steven Miles denied generous energy rebates were about an electoral sugar hit.
Opposition energy spokeswoman Deb Frecklington asked if the $1000 energy rebates were about getting a “decade old Labor government” through the next four months rather than a “plan for affordable power for the next four years and beyond”.
Mr Miles said the state government had provided energy bill relief every year since the 2017/18 budget.
He said the state government’s renewable energy transition plan was their blueprint to provide affordable power.

Rego costs to soar after the election: LNP

Hayden Johnson

LNP Transport spokesman Steve Minnikin noted the budget showed car registration would soar higher next year, after the state election.

He asked Premier Steven Miles if the government was "doing anything to get a decade old Labor government through the next four months".

Mr Miles said cost of living was the number one priority for the government.

"The budget papers show registration revenue falling by $306m in the budget year, in the year that follows that increases to $424m," he said.

"The increase in that revenue is not just that 20pc, it also reflects the impact of additional vehicles on the road.

"There is nothing more to it."

Parliament erupts over Treasurer's referendum comments

Opposition Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie has asked the question we've all been waiting for, why Treasurer Cameron Dick yesterday asked voters to not treat the upcoming October election as a referendum on the past nine years.

Mr Bleijie asked the Premier why the nearly decade old Labor government was "running away" from its record.

Mr Miles said "every election is about the future" and the floor erupted.

While Mr Miles attempted to gloss over his achievements over the last six months as Premier, he was unable to get a word in with the roaring interjections, including one comment from Mr Bleijie who yelled, "well, what involvement did you have before?"

The Premier hit back that the LNP also had a record it didn't like to talk about or defend – referring to the controversial Newman era – and that the party was "yet to deliver a single plan" after three and a half years.

-Taylah Fellows

Opposition takes aim at drop in Police frontline

Madura McCormack

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has taken aim at a drop in the number of frontline Queensland Police staff despite the state government’s pledge to grow the pipeline by hundreds of officers.
The Public Sector Commission latest workforce census, released alongside the budget, revealed there were 11890 frontline Queensland Police staff as of March 2024.
This is just 44 more than March 2020, but 76 fewer people than March 2022 when the frontline numbers at Queensland Police hit a five year peak.
Premier Steven Miles defended the state government’s measures to increase the police recruit pipeline.
“This is a budget for Queensland's future, one for the next four years and beyond…it is a plan that funds our community safety plan,” Mr Miles said.

Crisafulli opens question time with housing question

Hayden Johnson

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli noted the government had held housing summits and roundtables, but said only 300 of 3600 homes under the Housing Investment Fund were underway.

Premier Steven Miles disagreed and said the LNP would destroy its budget.

"If they had their way they would tear this budget up in just four months," he said.

Mr Miles's comments come after the government last week criticised the LNP for pledging to endorse its budget.

The premier said he would fight until the next election.