LNP Bradfield scheme slammed as ‘smoke and mirrors’ after costings show lack of cash for construction
Shovels will be in the ground for water infrastructure project the “New Bradfield Scheme” before the 2024 election the LNP has guaranteed, despite outlining only $20m for studies.
Townsville
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SHOVELS will be in the ground for water infrastructure project the “New Bradfield Scheme” before the 2024 election the LNP has guaranteed, despite outlining only $20m for studies.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Tim Mander yesterday finally laid out how the party’s $5.05 billion in election promises will be funded through a combination of borrowings and cuts over the next four years.
But there was no money to construct one of the LNP’s big ticket items – the new Bradfield Scheme.
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Mr Mander said the funds over the next two years were about determining the way forward and batted down questions over whether the project would be a transformational job creator, as promised, or something that was in the “Never Never”.
“I disagree … It is making sure that we do the right planning to get this right,” he said.
The Katter’s Australian Party launched a broadside, accusing the LNP of being unable to build dams due to their “alliance with the Greens” and claiming their “much-hyped version” of the Bradfield Scheme was “nothing more than smoke and mirrors”.
But the LNP guaranteed it would fast-track construction through future budgets once advance planning was complete.
Peak economic body Townsville Enterprise warned there would be “no wriggle room” for whomever next takes government when it comes to delivering on commitments for the region.
An LNP government would also strip $750 million from the public service, extend a hiring freeze and use nearly half of a $4 billion “Labor slush fund” to fund its election promises. Hitting out at Labor’s sustained attacks over an apparent secret plan to sack tens of thousands of public servants, Mr Mander laid out how many extra frontline workers the LNP would hire if it wins government.
This includes an additional 3350 teachers, 7060 teacher aides, 854 police, 2530 nurses and 750 doctors as the LNP reshaped the public service “to have a stronger focus on frontline delivery”. Police Minister Mark Ryan slammed the LNP for promising to boost police numbers by just 854, compared with Labor’s 2025 across the state including 1450 frontline cops.
The LNP would also apply a 2 per cent efficiency dividend across the public service – labelled a “cut” by LNP leader Deb Frecklington when Labor announced a similar savings target across Queensland Health.
Originally published as LNP Bradfield scheme slammed as ‘smoke and mirrors’ after costings show lack of cash for construction