Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt says Premier Campbell Newman should declare if he is giving potential investors the facts about Queensland’s financial and economic strength during visits to Sydney and Melbourne.
“The Premier needs to declare if he is giving the same message to southern investors that his Treasurer gave when on his overseas investment mission — that our state is in a strong position thanks to the former government and that both Labor and the LNP forecast a return to surplus in 2014-15 with the same level of debt,” Mr Pitt said.
“That means the LNP is sacking people and cutting frontline services not to pay down debt, but to fund its election promises.
“The Premier might also care to point out that his government has implemented a capital works freeze, that he is not investing in our regions, and that that the only major project he is backing is his pet plans for a new Executive Building for himself and his Ministers in the Brisbane CBD.
“Recently we saw the Treasurer Tim Nicholls head overseas for two weeks to China, the US and Japan where he gave potential investors glowing — and factual — assessments of our state’s economic strengths and potential,” Mr Pitt said.
“He used Queensland Treasury Corporation statistics as his calling card which nowhere spoke of the mythical ‘$100 billion debt’ fabricated by the LNP’s Costello audit.
“Not once on his overseas trip did the treasurer repeat the claims he parrots at home about Queensland being in ‘a debt crisis’ or our state being ‘a basket case’.
“Similarly, the Premier will not be regaling the board rooms of Sydney and Melbourne with stories about Queensland being on ‘a high dive into the abyss’ or our state being ‘bankrupt’ or comparing our economy with Spain’s.”
Mr Pitt said the Premier was reportedly meeting investors at events organised by property firm Jones Lang LaSalle in Melbourne last night (Tuesday) and will attend a similar event hosted by law firm Clayton Utz tonight (Wednesday) in Sydney.”
“I wonder if Mr Newman will also tell potential investors that the only capital works project his government has so far initiated is the new Executive Building for the Premier and his Ministers in the Brisbane CBD,” he said.
“Expressions of interest were called this week by Jones Lang LaSalle to determine industry interest in the new building.
“So far in his first four months, that is the only firm project the Premier has put on the table.
“There is nothing for regional Queensland, but he is happy to continue fussing over new offices for himself in Brisbane,” Mr Pitt said.
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