Without question the LNP sinks to new level of laziness

Treasurer Curtis Pitt says the job-creating 2016-17 State Budget has been passed in State Parliament without the LNP posing a single question to him as Treasurer during Question Time this week.

“The State Budget is focussed on innovation, investment, and infrastructure to create jobs across our state, especially in regional Queensland,” Mr Pitt said.

“The government has worked hard to develop a Budget that will boost growth, help business, attract new industry, and deliver infrastructure — all with the aim of providing jobs now and for the future.

“By contrast a feature of this Budget week in Parliament has been the total failure of Tim Nicholls and the LNP to ask any questions of me as Treasurer.

“It shows without question the LNP is the laziest opposition we have seen in our State Parliament.

“This week the Leader of the Opposition poached some of our policy ideas and presented pale imitations of them as his own — they offer less but cost more.

“That’s the best he can do after almost 18 months since the last state election.

“Not only did Tim Nicholls present cheap knock-offs instead of genuine policies, he still hasn’t explained how he will fund them.

“Because of his opposition to Labor’s Economic Plan and its revenue initiatives, Tim Nicholls has an $8 billion black hole in his costings even after releasing just a handful of so-called policies.

“That’s extremely worrying for a person who spent three years as Treasurer in the previous government.

“He needs to tell Queenslanders how he expects to fund his policies, and to explain to them if it involves asset sales.

“He said he would reveal his position ‘in due course’ yet failed to take the opportunity in his Budget Reply Speech.

“We can only assume he is still Mr Asset Sales,” Mr Pitt said.

Mr Pitt said the 2016-17 State Budget provided a clear economic plan for Queensland’s future and addressed both the challenges and opportunities facing Queensland.

“Our economic plan will kick start new industries and creates new jobs, while building on our strengths in agriculture, tourism and resources,” he said.

“We are focussed on jobs especially in regional Queensland and have introduced a two-year $100 million Back to Work program to provide 8000 jobs in regional Queensland. 

“It also provides record funding for health and education and training as well as a $10.7 billion capital works program in 2016-17 to support 31,000 jobs and provide essential transport, health, education, energy and water infrastructure.

“This is part of a four-year $40 billion investment in infrastructure which includes capital expenditure, capital grants and public-private partnerships to drive jobs and growth in Queensland.”

Mr Pitt said the 2016-17 Budget also forecast a surplus of $867 million – the largest surplus for a decade and forecast surpluses over the next four years totalling almost $3.2 billion.

He said the result had been achieved despite forecast revenue write-downs of an estimated $4.7 billion over four years, the Abbott and Turnbull Government’s austerity measures over consecutive Budgets and the Scott Morrison’s unexpected deferment of around $1.1 billion in disaster relief funds.

The combination of these events and decisions have also contributed to a reduced forecast net operating surplus of $152 million for 2015-16.

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