Achievements in the Queensland Parliament for the people of Queensland

Members of Parliament are preparing to return to their electorates today after the first two sitting weeks of the year.

The 89 of Members of Parliament have been sent to Parliament to make Queensland a better place; a place where there are more opportunities for work, a place where our citizens are safe and a place where we have compassion for one another.

What Members can tell their constituents that they have been a part of over the last fortnight depends on where they sit in the Parliament.

For Government Members, they have been part of a solid fortnight of delivery.

Government Members can tell their constituents that just some of the achievements of the last two weeks include:

• worked to support the creation of 71,700 new jobs across Queensland since the election;
• saw economic data released that showed Queensland’s economy growing faster than the rest of the nation;
• extended the Accelerated Works Program to more than $400 million in projects and more than 900 FTE jobs;
• voted for laws to curb alcohol fuelled violence on our streets;
• guided through Australia’s strongest restrictions on smoking;
• committed to three new schools - Yarrabilba, Coomera and Caloundra South - and an Autism Hub to improve the education outcomes for more Queenslanders;
• assigned our Working Queensland Cabinet Committee to focus on more local projects and local jobs around the State before the Budget;
• brought forward the $70 million second round of the Building our Regions infrastructure fund;
• announced funding for the second round of Skilling Queenslanders for Work, our vital job creating initiative across Queensland;
• confirmed more international flights bringing more tourism dollars and opportunities for Queenslanders; and
• moved to restore rights of landholders to protect their key farm infrastructure from mining and restore the rights of community members to object to projects.

My Government has worked with the Members for Mount Isa (Robbie Katter) and Dalrymple (Shane Knuth) to:

• bring the Working Queensland Cabinet Committee to their electorates;
• prioritise mental health in the next Budget; and
• extend the powers of courts to impose banning orders on persons convicted of drug offences in Safe Night Precincts, subject to consultation with stakeholders.

The Member for Dalrymple Shane Knuth also made the very sensible suggestion about the purchase of fresh milk by government departments and agencies.

It is the Members of the Opposition that must be wary of returning to their electorates.

What can the Opposition members tell their constituents?

• The LNP believes rumour and innuendo is of greater importance than jobs and economic development;
• The LNP believes the status quo in terms of alcohol-fuelled violence is adequate, despite recent deaths and serious injury;
• The LNP believes the admonishment of one of their Members by the Speaker for “deliberate misleading” is a frivolous event, although it has not occurred in this place for almost 20 years;
• The LNP believes – at least some - that the Member for Southern Downs should remain their leader, despite at least two senior Members wanting to flee to Canberra and others plotting against him.

My Government has a positive plan for Queensland.

We are yet to hear any positive plans from the Opposition for the people of Queensland.

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