Queensland election 2017: Jobs and cash on offer as Labor and LNP seek marginal votes

LABOR and the LNP are both making a play for votes by issuing election promises centred around job creation, but the Opposition has led the way with its long-term target.

Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls and his deputy leader Deborah Frecklington with supporters in his electorate of Clayfield. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has pledged to hire another 3500 nurses should Labor win Government at the November 25 election.

Touring the Proserpine Hospital in the marginal LNP seat of Whitsunday – once held by Labor, Ms Palaszczuk said that would include 3000 new nurses, 100 midwives and 400 nurse navigators.

This is on top of the 4150 nurses employed by Labor in its first term.

Meanwhile, the LNP is making a pitch to small business, promising to raise the payroll tax threshold by $250,000 over the decade.

It is part of its economic plan released this morning, which includes a target of creating 500,000 jobs over ten years.

Currently payroll tax kicks in at $1.1 million, but under the Opposition’s plan the threshold will rise by $25,000 a year for ten years taking it to $1.35 million.

It would mean 4000 fewer businesses paying payroll tax and another 10,000 paying less in it’s first year.

Mr Nicholls, speaking at a hardware store in the marginal seat of Springwood, said it was intended to encourage small and medium companies to hire more staff or give pay rises.

“Businesses should not be discouraged from employing more Queenslanders because of the threat of payroll tax - a tax on jobs,” he said.

It is expected to cost the budget $100 million over four years and $550 million over 10 years.

Opposition treasury spokesman Scott Emerson said the payroll announcement was part of the plan to create 500,000 jobs.

Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls and his deputy leader Deborah Frecklington with supporters in his electorate of Clayfield. Picture: AAP Image/Glenn Hunt

“We have the second worst employment rate in Australia, we can create jobs with today’s announcement about the payroll tax which is a real boost to small business,” he said.

“They will have that benefit of the threshold rising every year for the next 10 years, giving them certainty to grow their business.”

But of the 500,000 job target, Mr Nicholls said about 400,000 of those would come from normal projected growth figures.

The remaining 100,000 would come from the payroll tax, infrastructure, transformative projects and further announcements.

The 500,000 job target would take Queensland’s employment growth in line with NSW and Victoria, Mr Nicholls said.

“At the moment we’re losing out on the economic State of Origin,” he said.

Employment Minister Grace Grace rubbished the LNP’s promise, pointing to the fact about 400,000 were expected to be created through natural growth anyway.

She said the Newman government’s job creation promises hadn’t panned out, and there was no reason to believe this one.

She said Labor had created 122,500 jobs in its term and the state had the lowest unemployment rate in four years at 5.9 per cent.

“The fact is that Queensland has the highest threshold for payroll tax and one of the most competitive rates in Australia and we believe that when Tim Nicholls promises stuff, he delivers very little,” Ms Grace said.

She said the current threshold had been set for a while, but the Labor Government frequently considered whether it needed to be raised.

She said that wasn’t necessary at the moment.

“Payroll tax is very competitive here in Queensland compares to the other states,” she said.