Gold Coast Federal Minister Steve Ciobo rolls eyes at Labor’s 44 new cops on election eve

GOLD Coast Federal Minister Steve Ciobo has lambasted the Palaszczuk State Government’s election eve commitment to extra police as a sign of “panic”.

GOLD Coast Federal Minister Steve Ciobo has lambasted the Palaszczuk State Government’s election eve commitment to extra police as a sign of “panic”.

The Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment said he believed the electorate had major concerns about State Government’s stance on crime and small business.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Government had made a commitment to 44 extra police on the Gold Coast, the Bulletin revealed on Saturday.

An extra four domestic violence co-ordinators would be based on the Coast while bikie-busting Taskforce Maxima numbers would also get a boost to tackle outlaw motorcycle gangs.

EXTRA 44 COPS FOR COAST

Mr Ciobo, on the Gold Coast yesterday, said of the boost police numbers: “When you suddenly announce you are throwing an extra 44 police to the Gold Coast at one minute to midnight before an election people know exactly what it is — that’s a State Labor Government in panic.

“They dropped the ball on law and order on the Coast and now they want to pretend they are doing something.”

Gold Coast-based Australian Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment Steven Ciobo is critical of the Labor State Government’s track record on crime and the “shocking” way it handled the integrated resort process involving Chinese company ASF on the Spit. (AAP Image/Lukas Coch)

Mr Ciobo also harked back to Premier Palaszczuk’s bombshell decision earlier this year to axe Chinese developer ASF’s plans to build an integrated casino resort at The Spit, after ASF spent four years working on the project.

“Irrespective of whether you agree with the decision or disagree, the process was shocking,” Mr Ciobo said.

FEWER COPS TO FIGHT CRIME ON COAST

“That’s what alarms me. It basically reinforced to me this was a State Labor Government with no connection to business, no understanding of commercial concepts and more concerned with playing politics with Greens and environmental movement than what was good for the growth of our state.

“This State Labor Government has watered down in particular the bikie laws, which has seen perceptions of the Gold Coast eroded and that impacts our tourism industry — our single biggest industry — so that’s a concern.”

LNP Broadwater candidate David Crisafulli is in campaign mode at corner of Lae Drive and Oxley Ave, Runaway Bay, hitting the ground running yesterday. Photo by Richard Gosling

Broadwater LNP candidate David Crisafulli hit the ground running in his campaign at 6am yesterday with billboards and a roadside meeting.

Asked if he was feeling comfortable about being elected given a majority of 16.3 per cent in a seat previously held by Verity Barton, he said: “No, quite the contrary.

“There is no such thing in modern politics as a safe seat.

“We have seen across the world there is no certainly in modern politics — the only certainty is people who take things for granted get a kick in the backside.”