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Question Time live: Annastacia Palaszczuk expects “more to come for Qld” in future federal budgets
The Premier expects "more to come for Queensland" in future federal budgets after a number of mega projects were ditched or delayed.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk expects “more to come for Queensland” in future federal budgets amid revelations mega projects for the state had been ditched or delayed amid a brutal redirection of billions of infrastructure dollars.
The federal budget, released on Tuesday night, didn’t include funding for causes championed by the state government and Ms Palaszczuk herself—including a 50/50 health funding split and cash for 2032 Olympic Games projects.
Ms Palaszczuk said the state government was “continuing to work” with its federal counterparts to secure funding for the Copperstring 2.0 transmission project which would connect Mount Isa and surrounds to the electricity grid via Townsville.
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She also mentioned the Hughenden Irrigation Project, which has had its federal funding delayed for now.
“(We are continuing to)…support the proponents all of these projects will mean more investment in Queensland's regions and good jobs,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
There was also “more work to do” in national cabinet “when it comes to funding the health system”.
“I expect more to come for Queensland in future budgets…future funding for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” she said.
“And we are just starting detailed discussions on funding support for the Queensland energy and jobs plan.
“The Prime Minister has been very positive in the discussions I've had with him on building new pumped hydro energy storage dams”.
Infrastructure Minister Catherine King was scheduled to write to her state and territory counterparts on Tuesday night outlining which projects had been felled by Labor’s razor gang, which had been deferred indefinitely, and which were safe.
Ms King said the budget would “honour” the election pledges Labor had made while also “managing the economy in an uncertain global environment”.
It has since been confirmed the Kuraby-Beenleigh Faster Rail upgrade, noted in the March budget as “critical to meet the demand of projected population growth” and for the 2032 Brisbane Olympics, will be going ahead.
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What other hospitals are making women who have lost babies stay in wards with newborns?
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath refused to be drawn on a question from LNP Member for Currumbin Laura Gerber to clarify if there were more women who have lost their children to stillbirth across Queensland being forced to be treated alongside newborn babies in maternity wards.
Ms D’Ath said, again, the operational matters in the hospitals was a matter for clinicians.
Why UN body denied entry to make sure Queensland is not doing torture?
Greens MP Michael Berkman asked the Premier to clarify the issues that led to the United Nations torture prevention body suspending its visit to Australia, blaming the state government for obstructing access to mental health facilities.
The UN was scathing in its criticism of both Queensland and NSW, claiming the obstruction experienced compromised the access to the extent delegates had no other option but to suspend the trip about five days earlier than planned.
“This is a clear breach by Australia of its obligations under OPCAT,” subcommittee delegation head Aisha Shujune Muhammad said.
Ms Palaszczuk told Parliament the inspections were not facilitated because of legislation that meant the UN representatives were unable to visit inpatient facilities.
A spokeswoman for Attorney-General Shannon Fentiman told The Courier-Mail earlier this week the state government is progressing with a bill to amend the restriction by the end of the year which will allow the state to co-operate with its obligations under the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture and other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (OPCAT).
Where's the water for out west? Katter's demand answers on Hughenden Irrigation Project
Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter has asked the Premier about the Hughenden Irrigation Project and its ongoing cries for a water licence that the state government needs to grant for the proposal to go ahead.
The project, also called HIPCO, would open up agriculture land in Hughenden which is west of Townsville.
The Hughenden Irrigation Project had been promised funding by the former federal government but the latest budget has “deferred” this cash.
The funding will be “reconsidered once business cases are completed and viable pathways to delivery are determined and assessed” according to budget papers.
Ms Palaszczuk said the relevant department was “continuing to work” with the proponent to “identify the scope of planning work”
“Our government supports this work, and we will follow this up with the federal government,” she said.
Woman impacted by RBWH gynaecology ward mess makes appearance in parliament
Opposition health spokesperson Ros Bates revealed Erin Nicholson, the woman who told The Courier-Mail was forced to beg for earplugs to drown out the noise of babies while receiving care in the Royal Brisbane and Women’s Hospital maternity ward after losing her newborn baby, was present in the gallery.
Ms D’Ath said she acknowledged Ms Nicholson but repeated her response from earlier this week that these “are issues that do have to be decided by clinicians”.
The Health Minister said senior members of the health department have agreed to meet with both the Opposition and Ms Nicholson to provide a briefing about the operations in the hospitals after it was revealed mothers who are grieving stillbirths have been lumped with newborn babies in Queensland hospitals.
Has Queensland been "dudded" in the budget?
Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie asked Deputy Premier Steven Miles if he will admit Queensland was “dudded” by the various slashing of infrastructure projects in the federal budget.
In response, Mr Miles rose passionately to accuse the Deputy Opposition Leader of misleading voters, insisting a spike in investment in Queensland bucked the trend of previous federal budgets under the LNP.
“Right across Queensland, this budget is delivering,” the Deputy Premier said, highlighting projects in Cairns and Townsville.
“Projects in every single part of this state that will deliver a better future for Queensland.”
Why oh why have the rivers of dam funding run dry?
Water Minister Glenn Butcher, in a rare Question Time appearance, has been called upon to explain why the state government didn’t “fight” for water projects in Queensland.
The Opposition’s Deb Frecklington asked why the state didn’t fight for projects like Hells Gate Dam ($5.4bn), Emu Swamp Dam ($126m), Hughenden Irrigation Project, and Urannah Dam ($483) to retain its federal funding.
Read more about this here: Federal Budget 2022: Blow to Queensland mega projects
Mr Butcher said the former federal government had allocated to funds to projects which didn’t yet have detailed business cases as a desperate ploy to shore up support for the Nationals in North Queensland.
He said it was the “biggest con job in electoral” and a “pork barrelling exercise”.
Mr Butcher’s federal counterpart Tanya Plibersek has already defended the budget measures for water, noting $2bn had been allocated to projects—60 per cent of that funding pot going to Queensland.
“You can see from the investments we’re making that our approach is to fund sensible projects that deliver for communities – and this will be our approach into the future,” Ms Plibersek said.
“We’re deferring or cancelling projects that don’t stack up – where there’s no current pathway to delivery.”
50/50 Health Funding
The Opposition has decided to use Question Time to attack the state government on items for Queensland not included in the federal budget.
At the moment it’s 50/50 health funding.
Health Minister Yvette D’Ath said state, territory and federal health minister were all working on “what the next national health reform agreement looks like”
The Australian Medical Association has been the loudest voice on advocating for 50/50 health funding, and its president Professor Steve Robson has welcomed sections of the federal budget.
He also warned that the next budget needed to be health focused as time was running out to fix a strained system.
“The government needs to use the next six months to prepare a package of measures to deliver additional investments in health that address the crisis in our ramped public hospitals, further support our overworked GPs, and reform the private health system,” he said.
“This budget also doesn’t address the long-running logjam facing our public hospitals.
We need to see 50/50 funding implemented and the arbitrary 6.5 per cent cap on federal hospital funding growth scrapped if we are to address the record ambulance ramping and wait lists.”
Question Time begins: Health, federal budget for starters
Opposition Leader David Crisafulli kicked off Question Time by quizzing Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk if she was still pushing the federal government for a 50-50 split to fund health.
The federal budget is already dominating the morning in state parliament, with heightened partisan squabbling about the various cuts and funding increases related to Queensland.
Under the previous government, Ms Palaszczuk routinely deflected health issues in Queensland by seeking further funding to assist the sector’s well documented crisis.
“We have a breath of fresh air – we have a federal Labor government we can work with,” the Premier replied.
“Finally we have a federal Treasurer who understands Queensland … who understands the cost of living pressures.”
Mr Crisafulli followed up and asked when the Premier will “pick up the phone” and call Labor Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to seek support in funding Queensland projects.
Ms Palaszczuk responded, “for seven years, we had fights with … the prime minister”, asking the Opposition Leader if he ever “picked up the phone” and contacted former prime minister Scott Morrison for more support for Queensland.
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