Premier Steven Miles warns of LNP cuts to healthcare to deliver budget

Queensland Labor Premier Steven Miles has warned the only way the Liberal National Party would be able to keep his promise of balancing the state budget was through cuts to healthcare as he spruiked the government’s cost-of-living relief measures.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles at Milton Markets with stallholder Lisette Curran and member for Cooper Jonty Bush. Picture: David Clark

Queensland Labor Premier Steven Miles has warned the only way the Liberal National Party would be able to keep his promise of balancing the state budget was through cuts to healthcare, as he spruiked the government’s suite of cost-of-living relief measures.

Mr Miles, who successive polls suggest is facing defeat at next Saturday’s election, kicked off the last week of the campaign in four Labor-held electorates in Brisbane’s northside suburbs at risk of falling to the Greens and LNP.

The Labor leader did not make any new policy announcements over the weekend, and on Sunday focused on trumpeting the government’s cost-of-living relief measures, including $1000 electricity rebates, 50c public transport fares and promising a $1.4bn debt-funded program to give all primary school students access to free lunches.

Speaking outside a community health centre in the northern Brisbane electorate of Pine Rivers – held on a margin of 6.7 per cent – Mr Miles said cost-of-living relief has been his priority since he became Premier in December.

“You’ve seen my approach these last 10 months, and these last few weeks of the campaign,” Mr Miles said.

“I’m really focused on delivering for Queenslanders. I’ve delivered for them $1000 (energy) rebates, 50c public transport, $200 Fair Play vouchers, 20 per cent off rego.

“All of that goes to what I heard from Queenslanders, that the most important thing for them right now was the cost of living.”

Queensland Premier Steven Miles visits the Redcliffe Markets with Labor candidate for Redcliffe Kass Hall. Picture: David Clark

Mr Miles said while the LNP had embraced some of the cost-of-living measures, he could not see how Opposition Leader David Crisafulli could deliver all of his election promises without borrowing and cutting from the state’s health allowance.

“They have already announced an intention to reduce spending by about $8.5bn over the forward estimates,” Mr Miles said.

“Now Queensland Health is, I think, about 34 or 35 per cent of the state budget. You cannot achieve those levels of savings without cutting health workers, and we know that that’s precisely what they did last time, including more than 1000 in the northern suburbs of Brisbane alone.

“In 2012, they said public servants, they said our health workers had nothing to fear when it turns out they had much to fear. They are laying the groundwork to cut more than $2bn every year. You can’t find savings like that without cutting health costs.”

Mr Miles met constituents at popular street markets in the inner-city electorate of Cooper (10.49 per cent margin), being targeted by the Greens, and the Moreton Bay seat of Redcliffe, held by retiring frontbencher Yvette D’Ath on a margin of 6.11 per cent.

The Premier finished the day with a game of lawn bowls in the leafy inner-city suburb of New Farm, where polls show the race between senior minister Grace Grace and the Greens to secure the seat of McConnel is tight.

Meanwhile, Mr Crisafulli launched his campaign on Sunday in the Labor heartland of Ipswich.

Despite nearly a third of voters having already cast their ballots, the LNP has yet to reveal how it will pay for its election commitments. Shadow treasurer David Janetzki told The Weekend Australian he planned to stabilise the budgeted debt forecast, slated to hit $172bn over the forward estimates, but refused to say how he would lower both debt and state taxes without cutting frontline government services.

Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick argued Mr Janetzki’s assurance that the total cost of the LNP’s plans would come in under $8.5bn was unrealistic and likely short by about $10bn.