Queensland Treasurer fights for fair share of federal funding

Treasurer Curtis Pitt will fight for Queensland’s fair share of Commonwealth funding when the Council of Federal Fiscal Relations meets tomorrow in Canberra.

Mr Pitt said a fairer share of GST revenue and additional federal infrastructure funding topped Queensland’s wish list ahead of the national meeting of state and territory treasurers.

“The Federal Treasurer knows and understands that Queensland deserves its fair share of GST funding,” Mr Pitt said.

“I’ve written to Joe Hockey outlining Queensland’s position on this and other matters and I have no doubt that he will see sense.

“Mr Hockey needs to revisit this issue to ensure the allocation of GST can meet Queensland’s service delivery requirements.

“This is an urgent priority given the Queensland Budget has taken a hit of several billion dollars since the 2010-11 summer of natural disasters.

“We believe that the heavy impact of these events should be taken into account by the Commonwealth Grants Commission in determining Queensland's share of GST."

Mr Pitt said he would also be demanding Queensland gets its fair share of infrastructure funding from Canberra, without the need to sell income-generating state owned assets.

“We don’t think it’s reasonable to hold Queenslanders to ransom, particularly now that we have a bi-partisan approach to the retention of state-owned assets,” he said.

“We're looking for around $1 billion from the $5 billion available to fund vital job-creating infrastructure projects, in line with Queensland’s 20 per cent share of Australia’s population.

“It's not too late for the Treasurer to redesign this program prior to the Federal Budget in May.”

Mr Pitt will also call on the Federal Treasurer to immediately release millions of dollars in disabilities funding being withheld from Queensland.

“Since July 2014 Queenslanders have been paying an extra 0.5 per cent on their Medicare Levy to help fund the NDIS, yet we haven’t seen a cent of this funding,” he said.

“They’re rationing access to these funds and instead giving us a lump sum in four years’ time, leaving Queensland $352 million worse off during the first three years of the NDIS roll-out.

“That's not good enough and we'll be demanding immediate access to funding taxpayers have already paid, so that Queenslanders with a disability can access the NDIS from day one.”

Mr Pitt said Queensland would demand the Commonwealth immediately negotiate a new National Partnership Agreement (NPA) on early childhood.

“The Abbott Government's stubborn approach to NPAs is putting $615 million in education, health, legal assistance services, housing and other services in peril,” he said.

“Queenslanders deserve better, given the service cuts they were forced to endure under Campbell Newman’s LNP government. We need to get this process back on track so Queensland gets adequate funding for vital frontline services.”

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