Crisafulli says pending budget update will show ‘how serious’ LNP is

Premier David Crisafulli has vowed to honour the LNP’s election promises, and keep a tight rein on the state’s finances, amid ongoing claims of budget blowouts and black holes left by the former Labor government.

After controversially backing the Miles government’s final budget, seemingly to avoid claims of looming LNP cuts, the Crisafulli government will release its first budget update next Thursday.

Treasurer David Janetzki’s January 23 update will reveal the government’s priorities and include any early spending or revenue measures ahead of the June budget.

Treasurer David Janetzki (left) says the Queensland budget update will be revealing.Credit: Brisbane Times

Speaking from Cairns on Wednesday, amid a rural press tour announcing increased police activity, Crisafulli said the government had a “laser-like focus” on its core promise to reduce youth crime offence rates.

“We haven’t had our first budget yet, so you’ll see in the first budget how serious we take that for the next financial year,” he said.

Earlier this week, Janetzki said the budget update would reveal “the true state of the books in Queensland”.

“Over the last couple of months, we have identified a range of cost blowouts, project overruns, service delivery funding shortfalls, and … project overruns,” he said.

This continued on Wednesday, after the Queensland Audit Office reported on the impact of rising demand for public health services.

The report showed Queensland Health is still struggling to treat patients on time – particularly in emergency departments and for specialist appointments – with a growing and ageing population.

While the report noted the Labor government had provided “significant funding” for new and upgraded facilities, including satellite hospitals which helped take pressure off emergency departments, it also allowed maintenance to be deferred – with more than $2 billion in work overdue.

Health Minister Tim Nicholls said the auditors had “laid bare” the funding shortfalls left by Labor.

“Now Queenslanders can see how badly Labor has performed, and they can see the size of the task we have ahead of us,” he said.

The report showed local health service budget overruns of about 10 per cent.

“They have failed to fund the increase in the number of people turning up in hospitals … as a result, we’re seeing budget deficits, including the Health Department and across the health and hospital services of over $1.3 billion,” Nicholls said.

Treasurer David Janetzki announced the mid-year fiscal and economic review would be released on January 23.

The government has ordered a review of the rollout of the health and hospital infrastructure program.

Janetzki said the Treasury and Child Safety Departments had uncovered $461 million shortfall in residential care funding.

“What it means is when the money runs out, Queensland at risk and vulnerable kids will be on the streets,” he said.

Over 2000 children statewide rely on residential care services, which encompass supported rental accommodation for the elderly and boarding houses for at-risk people.

The Labor opposition has accused the government of overstating the budget issues and underestimating the job.

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