Qld election 2020: Labor, LNP policies compared
One hundred and eighteen days before Queenslanders head to the polls, we look at the plans the major parties have laid out so far.
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WITH the COVID-19 recession expected to take a prolonged and devastating toll on the Queensland economy, the outcome of the October 31 state election is shaping up as a make-or-break chance to get our engine room fired up again.
Now, 118 days before voters go to the polls, we take a look at the plans the major parties have laid out so far.
ALP
Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk: We will make election commitments during the election campaign. Right now, the entire Government is focused on addressing the economic and health impacts of the global coronavirus pandemic. That means continuing to manage the health response and starting to deliver Queensland’s plan to Unite and Recover for Queensland Jobs.
Agriculture
■ Invest $5.5 million to use new technologies to improve biosecurity and food safety.
■ Encourage new trade relationships, by investing $5 million to sponsor
e-commerce platforms for
Queensland products in overseas markets. The package also includes $2 million for diversification assistance.
Tourism
■ $15 million for airline route support to encourage the domestic tourism spend.
■ $8.93 million under a works and jobs boost to provide visitor infrastructure upgrades at national parks and enhancements to re-energise nature-based tourism.
Construction
■ The Government is reaffirming its commitment to the $15,000 first homeowner grants program for any Queensland first home buyers purchasing a new home valued at less than $750,000.
■ Provide an additional $5000 grant for people building a new home in a regional location, helping to encourage people to move to regional Queensland.
■ $100 million Housing Construction Works for Tradies program – with new social housing to be built across the state.
■ Southeast Queensland councils will receive additional funds to support minor works and projects that create local jobs in our most-impacted areas.
■ 2000 seniors and people with a disability will receive additional subsidies of up to $5000 to help them stay safely in their own homes.
Resources and Energy
■ $10 million to promote exploration activity for new economy minerals for emerging technologies.
■ Invest $650,000 to develop small businesses in the mining equipment, technology and services sector across the state, including Gladstone and Rockhampton.
■ Invest $17 million in a state-of-the-art Renewable Energy Training Facility.
Arts and culture
■ $22.5 million package to support the recovery of the arts and culture sector.
Small business
■ The Government’s first round of small business grants were snapped up within days. The Government will now allocate an additional $100 million for these grants to help sustain small businesses so they can respond quickly post COVID-19.
As well as:
■ Maintain infrastructure investment at more than $50 billion over the next four years.
■ $400 million Accelerated Works Program to deliver new road, bridge and pavement sealing works across the state.
■ A further $200 million in 2020-21 for a Works for Queensland program to support jobs and fund productive building projects.
■ An $11.25 million expansion of the Household Resilience Program in cyclone affected areas.
■ $50 million for tourism infrastructure and more funding towards a domestic tourism campaign.
■ Redirecting $50 million of Industry Attraction funding under the Making it for Queensland initiative to continue to expand manufacturing capacity for PPE, hand sanitiser and medical supplies.
■ A $10 million support package aimed to support international students and safeguard Queensland’s global education brand.
■ $20 million for free online training which includes training in safety and hygiene standards to keep COVID-19 contained.
■ A further $14.8 million to support project development of the CopperString 2.0 project that will connect the North West Minerals Province with the national electricity market.
■ $20 million towards construction of a Queensland Apprenticeships Centre in renewable hydrogen at Beenleigh.
LNP
LNP Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington: My vision is to make Queensland Australia’s economic powerhouse again; the best place to get a job and get ahead. A government I lead will implement our economic plan to create a decade of jobs, to get Queenslanders working again and drag ourselves out of the coronavirus recession. The foundations of the LNP’s plan for a stronger economy and secure jobs are investing for growth, unleashing Queensland industry, supercharging the regions and securing our children’s future. Our bold plans to build the drought-busting New Bradfield Scheme, the congestion-busting second M1, slash elective surgery wait times and improve education results will secure Queensland’s future for the next generation.
New Bradfield Scheme
■ The New Bradfield Scheme is a “nation-building plan to droughtproof Queensland, delivering water security and supercharging agricultural production in the regions”. It will include 2000MW of baseload hydro power – enough to power 800,000 homes in North Queensland – making it the biggest renewable energy project in the state.
■ The New Bradfield Scheme will open up new irrigated land west of the Great Dividing Range, an area larger than Tasmania.
Dam Building Plan
■ Get major dam projects investment-ready, delivering water security across regional Queensland, including Nullinga (Far North), Urannah (Mackay), Raising Burdekin Dam wall (Townsville).
■ Fixing Paradise Dam (Wide Bay Burnett).
■ Get on with Rookwood Weir (Rockhampton) and Emu Swamp Dam (Stanthorpe).
■ Establishing Queensland Dam Company based in Townsville as a vehicle to secure investment and build more water infrastructure.
■ New Bradfield Scheme and the State Dam Building Plan will triple Queensland’s water storage capacity.
Build a Second Pacific Motorway
■ $550 million to get shovels in the ground and start delivering a “Second M1” to take 60,000 cars a day off the Pacific Motorway.
Regional electricity
■ End the Ergon monopoly in regional Queensland, helping families to shop around and save $300 a year off their electricity bills.
Slashing ELECTIVE surgery waiting lists
■ Partner with the private sector and clear the elective surgery waiting list.
Back-to-basics curriculum overhaul
■ Declutter the curriculum with a major overhaul to get back to basics in education by undertaking the first curriculum review in more than 25 years, with more focus on English, maths and science.
No new taxes
■ LNP guarantee no new taxes if elected in a measure to restore Queensland’s “reputation as a low-taxing state, encouraging entrepreneurial spirit where if people had a go and backed themselves, they could get ahead in life”.
Child Safety overhaul
■ The Department of Child Safety will be overhauled, renamed the Child Protection Force, and operate as a stand-alone agency, adopting a hierarchy and rank structure similar to the Queensland Police Service.
■ A new team of police investigators will be called in to clear backlogs and overhaul investigation procedures for high-risk cases, with a focus on monitoring kids under 5 years
of age.
■ Child Protection Force officers will be on hand 24 hours a day under new shift arrangements including a rapid response team.
■ Crack down on drug-addicted parents with a no-second-chances model, with compulsory and random drug testing.
Domestic Violence plan
■ Frontline police will be given tougher laws and new powers to issue domestic violence orders on the spot.
■ Fixing the strangulation offence: Immediately fix the definition and double the current maximum penalty for strangulation from 7 years to 14 years.
■ New laws: Immediately review the entire domestic violence criminal justice legal framework to implement new laws such as coercive control and a specific domestic violence summary offence.
SURVIVORS
■ $500,000 to rollout 200 personal safety devices to people vulnerable to domestic violence.
■ $1 million in extra funding to the Women’s Legal Service and an additional $1 million to other frontline legal and support providers of domestic violence or sexual violence support.
■ Establish one-off emergency assistance grants of up to $2000 to help families flee. This is in recognition of the shortage of crisis accommodation.
Open up the Galilee Basin and create the Queensland Infrastructure Fund
■ A Queensland Resources Industry Commissioner would be reappointed to promote the state to international investors.
■ 10-year royalty rate certainty to
unlock more investment and open up
the Galilee Basin.
■ Every cent of royalties from the Galilee Basin will go into a new Queensland Infrastructure Fund to pay for new schools, hospitals, roads and dams our growing state needs.