LNP leaves door open for Queensland coal royalty changes next term

Queensland Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli said he would not release the LNP’s tax plan until next year.

Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli on Wednesday. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Queensland Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli has refused to guarantee he will retain the state’s coal royalty scheme for the full four-year term of government if he wins next year’s state election.

The three-tier coal royalty scheme, which includes the highest taxing rates in the world, funnelled $15bn into government coffers this financial year and delivered Treasurer Cameron Dick the biggest state budget surplus in history. Extra revenue from the Palaszczuk government’s royalty regime will help bankroll $550 energy ­rebates for every household, a new hospital in Moranbah and the CopperString electricity trans­mission line.

The Queensland Resources Council has launched a $40m campaign saying the royalty scheme has made companies uncompetitive on the global stage, which it plans to run until the ­October 2024 election.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in question time. Picture: Dan Peled / NCA NewsWire

Mr Crisafulli on Wednesday said he would not make changes to the regime for four years because coal royalty revenue was already committed across the budget’s forward estimates, but would not rule out axing the ­regime after mid-2027.

“It was a bad plan, it was a dishonest plan that broke the trust of industry, but it’s the only plan that is there and it’s been tied to four year forwards,” he said.

“I think giving you four years is a pretty reasonable and upfront thing for an opposition to do. We will have a tax plan ahead of the election.”

Premier Annastacia Palas­zczuk took aim at Mr Crisafulli in parliament this week for not having a more detailed policy agenda one-year out from the state election. “We know they have no policies and they want to sneak into office without being upfront and truthful with the people of this state,” she said.

“There are no policies and they have no ideas for this state.”

Mr Crisafulli said it was the government which had run out of ideas and was “stealing” LNP policies “like breaching bail, like lowering learning licence fees, and I’ve asked (it) to steal the others and Queensland would be better off”.

He said an LNP government would publicly release health data within 100 days, have a maintenance guarantee on coal-fired power plants and remove the presumption of detention as a last resort for young offenders.

Youth crime dominated question time on Wednesday and remains a major political issue for the government.

While Ms Palaszczuk was on holidays, Labor MP Don Brown described youth crime as a “media beat-up” in a social media post.

Mr Crisafulli opened question time by asking Ms Palas­zczuk what advice she would give to residents in Mr Brown’s electorate who had been victims of crime

She said Mr Brown had apologised for the post and she “stood with” victims of crime.

Pressed by Mr Crisafulli if there was a crisis, she said: “We have acknowledged there are ­issues with youth crime, yes.”