Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt said Tim Nicholls cannot leave his taxpayer-funded asset sales PR meeting in Cairns without explaining why the LNP has already broken its promises and increased taxes, cut jobs and services, and sold $11 billion worth of assets.
“Tim Nicholls is running around Queensland at taxpayers’ expense saying his only choices as Treasurer are to raise taxes, cut jobs and services, or sell assets, when it reality he has already done all three,” Mr Pitt said.
“At last year’s budget, the Treasurer insurance tax hikes helped increases taxes on the average family by around $1,000 since the Newman Government was elected.
“The cuts to jobs and services across the state, particularly in Far North Queensland, have been extraordinary, including the sacking of more than 230 FTEs from Cairns Hospital, including sacking around 40 nurses.
“And the sale of Queensland tollroads to the private sector last week means the Newman Government has now sold $11 billion worth of assets, including school and hospital sites across the state.
“These are all broken promises from Campbell Newman and Tim Nicholls.
Mr Pitt said after last night’s federal budget, Tony Abbott’s words are coming back to haunt him, when he said:
“It just isn’t right that that people should say one thing before an election and do the opposite after an election.”
“The same could be said for Tim Nicholls and the LNP in Queensland who said anything to get elected, and then they’ve broken promise after promise to the people who put their trust in them.
“In response to last night’s Federal Budget of broken promises, the Treasurer said Queensland wouldn’t need to do things like raise taxes and cut services in this budget, which means his mind is made up on asset sales.
“The fact is that since Tim Nicholls has been Treasurer, gross state debt has risen by almost $15 billion. That’s over $830,000 extra debt every hour.
“And that’s despite the increased taxes, huge cuts to jobs and services and $11 billion worth of asset sales the LNP has embarked upon.
“The people of far north Queensland will not be hoodwinked by the LNP. They know the Treasurer is wasting $6 million on a taxpayer funded advertising campaign designed to help the LNP politically, not help Queensland economically.
“All Queenslanders want a measured, steady strategy to make Queensland’s budget stronger, not a panicked firesale of assets as the Treasurer proposes.
“Under the LNP, Queensland’s assets will be sold off. Under Labor, they won’t. It’s that simple.”
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