Editorial: Debt delay unsustainable, budget to bring repair

Kicking the debt can down the road is unsustainable, leaving quite a challenge for David Janetzki in his first budget, writes the editor.

Treasurer David Janetzki in Question Time on Wednesday. Picture: John Gass/NCA NewsWire

Queensland Treasurer David Janetzki – like his interstate counterparts and Jim Chalmers at a federal level – has his work cut out for him if he is to really tackle rising debt.

For too long governments have kicked the debt can down the road, while relying on non-means-tested “middle-class welfare” to win votes.

It might be good politics, but it is unsustainable.

Mr Janetzki releases his first state budget on June 24, and it’s hard to imagine a more difficult debut.

He will have to deal with the debt bomb caused – in part – by the previous government’s largesse, find a way to pay for the massive Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure build and the Bruce Highway upgrade, shore-up health, education and police and attempt to wean the population off the Covid-19 and cost of living handouts that never went away.

Early indications are, as state political editor Hayden Johnson reported yesterday, that the era of handouts is over.

Welfare will be targeted at those who need it most, as it should be.

Not every kid will get a free school lunch because not every kid needs one.

Labor’s election-eve budget a year ago included $11.2bn in cost-of-living handouts, including $3bn to cut power bills by $1000 and $434m to slash vehicle registration by 20 per cent.

And that discount applied whether you were registering a Barina or a Bentley.

Suburban battlers were grateful for the power bill relief while then premier Steven Miles urged billionaire Clive Palmer to give his $1000 rebate to charity.

The size the challenge facing Mr Janetzki is evident by the fact that the he will now back away from his pre-election pledge to keep debt below the $171bn forecast in Labor’s last budget.

The Treasurer said in January that because of Labor’s “deception” that debt target would now be $218bn.

The need for budget repair has never been more urgent.

“It’s a serious challenge but the ’25-’26 budget will begin the task of laying the foundations for budget repair,” Mr Janetzki said.

“Debt will be lower that it would have been under Labor, who were on track to deliver the worst per-capita debt burden of any state in the nation.”

We wish Mr Janetzki well for his first budget.

We hope that “debt repair” catches on with his state colleagues, and Mr Chalmers.

And we hope that he holds the line on declaring the end of the unnecessary handouts.

Because it’s very easy to talk tough at the start of a four-year term.

The real test will come before the next state election in 2028.

SERIOUS SIDE OF IRWIN V KATTER

Sometimes, in sport as in life, it’s hard to know who to cheer for.

Occasionally, two passionate, well-respected people or groups can fight for their corners and you know there is no way they will find middle ground.

We saw this yesterday when noted conservationist Bob Irwin fronted a parliamentary hearing into crocodile management.

Bob, of course, loves crocodiles, at least as much as his legendary son, the famous Crocodile Hunter Steve Irwin.

Bob Katter, on the other hand, isn’t fond of the reptiles. His Katter’s Australian Party has introduced a Bill to reintroduce culling, or as the Bill puts it, to eliminate crocodiles which pose a threat to human life.

Steve Irwin’s widow Terri responded by calling the Bill recycled, and inviting Mr Katter to live in the real world.

“He’s not listening to the people that know, he has no idea of how the environment works, and that’s his problem,” she said.

This in turn prompted Mr Katter to return fire on Facebook, saying the Irwins were Brisbane-based entertainers who didn’t know about the issues facing North Queenslanders. And it all devolved further yesterday, with Bob Irwin – who is 86 – calling the 80-year-old Mr Katter a dickhead.

While the stoush may be humorous to the neutral observer, the issue of crocodile management is a serious one and the parliamentary hearing will have an extremely difficult job coming up with recommendations.

There were 15 fatal crocodile attacks in Queensland between 1984 and 2024, and while that number may be considered small by some every death was a tragedy.

And although salt and freshwater crocodiles are not endangered in Queensland, their numbers are still recovering from decades of culling and hunting.

And while their presence may be unwelcome in some waterways, in others they are a tourist attraction.

The Irwins and the Katters will never see eye-to-eye on this issue.

It is the parliament’s job to come up with a policy that will probably irk both families equally by striking a balance between conservation and safety.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: Debt delay unsustainable, budget to bring repair