The LNP has slammed the State Government by going through the entire alphabet, listing details of projects it has wasted money on and highlighting its wrong priorities.
TREASURER Jackie Trad has revealed a $1.3 billion hit to the Budget off the back of the state’s weak property market.
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“Like Victoria, like NSW, Queensland will be forecasting a write down in terms of our revenue from stamp duty, from transfer duty.
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“That’s because we have seen changes in the property market, a decline in the transfer and construction of new dwellings.
“We are not immune. NSW has written down some $4 billion, Victoria some $2 billion and unfortunately in this Budget we are seen to be forecasting about a $1 billion writedown over the forward estimates.”
Ms Trad said the $1.3 billion write-down would likely worsen further.
“Evidence shows that the property downturn in several states is yet to bottom out, so we can expect to see those write downs grow further,” she said.
The billion-dollar write down is almost five times larger than initially expected in the Mid-Year Fiscal and Economic Review.
The MYFER had initially revealed a small uptick in transfer duties of $40 million in the 2018/19 financial year before a $280 million drop across the forward estimates, down $95 million in in 2019/20, $97 million in 2020/21 and $88 million in 20221/22.
The North Queensland Stadium, located in Townsville, will be completed in time for the beginning of the 2020 NRL season.
“We will complete the Townsville stadium on time,” the Premier said.
It comes after the project hit another speed bump, with the Construction, Forestry, Mining, Maritime and Energy Union yesterday calling for work to be halted following allegations “unlicensed contractors” were working on site.
Education Minister Grace Grace has left the door open to building a new school in Brisbane’s west.
Greens MP Michael Berkman asked the Minister whether she would consider securing a site for a new school, before the end of this year, to help the area’s overcrowding.
“Schools on Brisbane’s west side are desperately overcrowded. There are now demountables on the oval at Toowong, bursting classrooms and waiting lists for after school care at Ironside, Indooroopilly and others,” he said.
Ms Grace said everything was on the table.
“We are looking very closely (at this),” she said.
“I can assure the member for Maiwar, we are investing in the research needed to deliver a fantastic education.”
The Morrison Government’s commitment to the M1 has been laughed at by Labor, with the Premier slamming it as a joke.
Ms Palaszczuk has read out the LNP’s funding forecast.
“2018-19 – blank, 2019-20 – blank, 2020-21- blank, 2021-22 – blank, 2022-23 – blank,” she said.
The LNP has committed $500 million however the Government claims the money won’t be seen until 2023-24.
The State Government has been asked to fork out the same amount.
The LNP have grilled Treasurer Jackie Trad on her announcement today of a $1.3 billion hit to the Budget bottom line due to a reduction in transfer duty.
Ms Trad said the softening was anticipated in the MYFER and was no different to what was being experienced in the southern states.
“Every single economist in the nation has been talking about the downturn in the property sector,” she told the House.
The LNP have grilled Treasurer Jackie Trad on her announcement today of a $1.3 billion hit to the Budget bottom line due to a reduction in transfer duty.
Ms Trad said the softening was anticipated in the MYFER and was no different to what was being experienced in the southern states.
“Every single economist in the nation has been talking about the downturn in the property sector,” she told the House.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has stood by her election commitment to deliver hundreds of extra hospital beds, saying it was always going to take five years to achieve.
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington used Question Time to ask why election commitments to deliver new 370 new beds at Logan, Caboolture and Ipswich hospitals were still with "to be determined" deadlines.
Ms Palaszczuk said her election commitment had been clear about the timelines."We plan, we do a business case and then we construct and that is very clearly what we said we would do," she said.
In a subsequent question, Ms Frecklington said the premier had called the promise a "very high priority" in 2017 and called on her to apologise to Queenslanders.
"This is nothing new," she said.
"It was an election commitment over five years."
The LNP has just gone through the alphabet, teeing off on money the Government has “wasted” and its wrong priorities.
These were the examples Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander used;
a. eHealth project blowout: $256,800,000;
b. ICT dashboard project blowout: $211,897,547;
c. Uncollectable SPER debt write-off: $191,000,000;
d. Fixing Labor’s Rail Fail: $170,660,000;
e. Closing privately-operated prisons for the unions: $111,000,000;
f. Ministers’ personal staff cost blowouts: $1,860,184;
g. TAFE IT blowout: $1,400,000;
h. Taxies for Train Drivers: $493,033;
i. Functions and hospitality costs: $289,000;
j. Ministers’ overseas travel: $267,821;
k. QR CCTV screen duplications: $50,000,000;
l. Government advertising in breach of election commitment: $3,480,840;
m. GOLDOC golden handshakes: $650,000;
n. Lady Cilento name change: $302,082;
o. Study into Whitsunday Shark Attacks to see if three shark attacks are a problem: $250,000;
p. Commonwealth Games Labor’s giveaway tickets: $230,000;
q. Labor’s Charter Flights for young crims: $180,000;
r. Consultant to recommend name change from DIQ to DJQ: $136,000;
s. Brand research about TAFE Queensland: $102,300;
t. Phone app to help Fat Dogs lose weight: $100,000;
u. Workcover Qld executives’ overseas junket: $47,600;
v. Palaszczuk’s captain’s call on Terry Mackenroth stadium: $13,600;
w. Jobs Queensland logo: $37,086.50;
x. Extra Ministers in breach of Election Promise: $10,600,000;
y. Premier’s personal office budget blowout: $290,585;
z. ASF Spit project compensation: $13,000,000; and
aa. Accommodation bill for Premier and entourage at the Commonwealth Games: $81,313.69.
The LNP has just gone through the alphabet, teeing off on money the Government has “wasted” and its wrong priorities.
These were the examples Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mander used;
a. eHealth project blowout: $256,800,000;
b. ICT dashboard project blowout: $211,897,547;
c. Uncollectable SPER debt write-off: $191,000,000;
d. Fixing Labor’s Rail Fail: $170,660,000;
e. Closing privately-operated prisons for the unions: $111,000,000;
f. Ministers’ personal staff cost blowouts: $1,860,184;
g. TAFE IT blowout: $1,400,000;
h. Taxies for Train Drivers: $493,033;
i. Functions and hospitality costs: $289,000;
j. Ministers’ overseas travel: $267,821;
k. QR CCTV screen duplications: $50,000,000;
l. Government advertising in breach of election commitment: $3,480,840;
m. GOLDOC golden handshakes: $650,000;
n. Lady Cilento name change: $302,082;
o. Study into Whitsunday Shark Attacks to see if three shark attacks are a problem: $250,000;
p. Commonwealth Games Labor’s giveaway tickets: $230,000;
q. Labor’s Charter Flights for young crims: $180,000;
r. Consultant to recommend name change from DIQ to DJQ: $136,000;
s. Brand research about TAFE Queensland: $102,300;
t. Phone app to help Fat Dogs lose weight: $100,000;
u. Workcover Qld executives’ overseas junket: $47,600;
v. Palaszczuk’s captain’s call on Terry Mackenroth stadium: $13,600;
w. Jobs Queensland logo: $37,086.50;
x. Extra Ministers in breach of Election Promise: $10,600,000;
y. Premier’s personal office budget blowout: $290,585;
z. ASF Spit project compensation: $13,000,000; and
aa. Accommodation bill for Premier and entourage at the Commonwealth Games: $81,313.69.
Health Minister Steven Miles says he will deliver new beds for southeast Queensland hospitals on schedule, as he accused the Morrison Government of failing to properly invest in health care.
Mr Miles told Parliament he would meet election commitments to deliver new beds at Logan and Caboolture hospitals.
It comes after the Opposition accused the Palaszczuk Government of a "broken promise" because the majority of beds promised during the last election campaign won't be delivered in this term of government.
But Mr Miles said everything was progressing to plan.
He said 47 new beds would be open at Logan and Redlands next year and a Logan maternity expansion was open last week.
"All up, 208 hospital beds promised at the last election at Logan, will be delivered on schedule," he said.
"In Cabooluture, we will deliver 130 new beds also on schedule.
"The first 32 new beds are already open."
Mr Miles said the Palaszczuk Government had already delivered 527 new beds in Queensland hospitals.
"That's 527 new beds open, available, treating patients now," he said.
He said it was a contrast to the federal Government.
"Last night the federal Government could have supported Queensland hospitals, they could have reversed their cruel cuts … they could have invested in health care like Labor does," he said.
"But they did not, and they will be judged very harshly for it come election day."
The State Government has released its Central Queensland Bushfires Recovery Plan 2018 – 2021, which maps the road ahead for communities ravaged by fire.
The Premier said never before had the state experienced catastrophic bushfires like those late last year.
“State Recovery Coordinator Major General Stuart Smith (retired) has visited the regions devastated by bushfires meeting with locals, councils, business owners and other key stakeholders to get a greater understanding of the challenges ahead to develop the long-term recovery plan,” she said.
“The plan recognises that each community is best placed to identify its own priorities and challenges, with support from the Queensland Government, industry and community groups to recover.”
Health Minister Steven Miles has apologised to businesses that have suffered delays because of the new Queensland Health payment system.
A Queensland Government-owned utility corporation has underpaid hundreds of its senior staff for more than a decade in a bungle that could have ripped off up to a quarter of its workforce.