Queensland premier Anna Blight defends doubling the stamp duty in the state's budget

NNA Bligh has defended the Queensland budget as a "gutsy play" that will deliver hip-pocket boosts to everyday Queenslanders

Budget

ANNA Bligh has defended the Queensland budget as a "gutsy play" that will deliver hip-pocket boosts to everyday Queenslanders

Fending off Opposition and real estate industry criticism of a budget measure that will double stamp duty on the average family home, the Queensland Premier used parliament today to declare the government was unashamedly returning money to householders.

In the $43 billion Queensland budget unveiled yesterday, the government scrapped the stamp duty concession for people trading up to an existing home. The stamp duty on a $400,000 home will jump from $5250 to $11,825 from August 1.

The $161 million raised in the coming financial year will cover the cost of the abolition of an unpopular $113 levy on electricity bills to fund universal ambulance services.

"With every budget that we have delivered, we are systematically transforming Queensland into a modern thriving economy of the 21st century," Ms Bligh said.

"This year, Mr Speaker, because we are prepared to make the hard decisions we will deliver an ambulance service fully funded from the budget as other emergency services are."

Ms Bligh also highlighted the massive 17 per cent increase in electricity prices over the border in New South Wales, arguing her government was focused on reducing cost-of-living pressures.

The government is banking on a resources boom, with a 27 per cent increase in business investment next financial year followed by more than 20 per cent in 2012/2013.

The budget plan - which will run deficits and increase whole-of-government borrowings to $85 billion until 2015 - is aimed at boosting rebates and subsidies for householders.

It is the last budget before the next Queensland election, to be decided between Ms Bligh and her opponent from outside the parliament, Campbell Newman.

She criticised parliamentary opposition leader Jeff Seeney for "outsourcing" the key budget reply speech to Treasury spokesman Tim Nicholls, in a departure from parliamentary tradition.

Cabinet Ministers lined up to ridicule the opposition for their "three leaders".

For his part, Mr Seeney used Question Time to attack the permanent stamp duty changes, questioning why a Bligh government grant for new homes was only temporary.

Treasurer Andrew Fraser defended the measure as the means to cut the ambulance levy.