One month later Nicholls still silent on asset sales plan

Treasurer Curtis Pitt says Tim Nicholls is still silent on how he will implement LNP plans for asset sales a full month after promising to declare his position “in due course”.

“Tim Nicholls became LNP leader on 6 May and on 24 May he promised he would say ‘in due course’ where he stands on asset sales,” Mr Pitt said.

“It is very clear the LNP plans to once again embrace asset sales. Some within the LNP would no doubt see asset sales as a quick way to fill the $8 billion black hole Tim Nicholls has already created because he refuses to back Labor's plan.

“There can be no clearer indication of a return of a pro-asset sales LNP than the refusal of Tim Nicholls to be honest with Queenslanders.

“For weeks now we have been reading about manoeuvres among his own LNP colleagues who are pushing hard behind the scenes to keep asset sales as the LNP’s one-point economic plan.

“There has been talk within the LNP of needing ‘a succinct and clearer campaign’ to sell the idea of asset sales to voters and reports of his own colleagues ‘quietly backing’ a pro-asset sales stand.

"Tim Nicholls asked for a state budget that gives '...hope and optimism for the future - a budget that drives economic growth and investment, creates jobs for young Queenslanders and delivers the services and infrastructure we need'.

"Well that's exactly what we've delivered, in start contrast to the last budget by Mr Nicholls who continues to talk down the economy under Labor, even when all of the numbers are better than when the LNP was in Government.

"Growth is higher, unemployment is lower, and debt is lower under Labor than what it was under the LNP - Tim Nicholls cannot deny that.

"Economic growth under Labor (3.5%) is more than triple what it was under Tim Nicholls (0.8%) with an average of 500 full-time jobs being created each month versus 380 jobs lost each month under the LNP."

"And he's said nothing about what he he'd do to offset the $4.7 billion in write-downs that would've hit any government - Labor or LNP - due to the global commodity prices.

"Tim Nicholls has failed to provided any alternative - he had the chance to be open and honest with Queenslanders in his Budget Reply speech on 16 June.

“He should have used that speech to let people know of his pro-asset sales stand. But he squibbed it.

“In the absence of any clear statement from Tim Nicholls the only conclusion is the LNP’s one-point economic plan remains asset sales.

“They simply aren't honest enough to say so."

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