What do Steven Miles and the big supermarkets have in common?
They only care about themselves, they don’t care about you, they’re bad for cost of living and both must be held accountable for their actions
- LNP to amend Terms of Reference for Grocery Inquiry
- State Government responsibilities to also be put under microscope
- Electricity, insurance, water and transport costs to be examined
- LNP to negotiate with crossbench for support on Inquiry
The LNP has today announced it will expand Queensland’s Cost of Living Inquiry to assess State Government impacts on the kitchen table big bills and help ease the Queensland Cost of Living Crisis.
Following CPI revelations Queensland is facing the worst cost of living pressures in the nation, the LNP has moved to put Government impacts on cost of living under a microscope including electricity, transport, insurance and water.
To expand the Inquiry’s scope, the LNP also announced today it would be negotiating with crossbench Parliamentarians, to secure their support, and amend the Select Committee’s Terms of Reference.
Steven Miles announced a big supermarkets inquiry, knowing full-well he wasn’t looking at the things his government controls.
Supermarkets absolutely need to be held accountable, but so does this decade-old Labor Government that’s driving-up cost of living pressures on Queenslanders.
The LNP’s expansion to the Cost of Living Select Committee Terms of Inquiry include:
- The impact of rising electricity prices, after Queensland experienced a 20% increase in power bills, the worst in the nation and triple the national average, with the Callide power plant being offline for nearly three years.
- The impact of skyrocketing insurance prices, after Queensland experienced 18.5% increases in insurance due to the youth crime crisis and Labor’s failure to deliver flood resilience.
- The impact of rising water costs, as well as a lack of water security, with the Government failing to build new dams and now tearing down the Paradise Dam, with no water security plan to bring down the cost of water for growers.
- The impact of increased transport costs, after Queensland experienced the biggest increases in transport costs in the nation, as a result of the Government’s failure to maintain and invest in our road and rail network.
Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli said the LNP was taking action to ease cost pressures after the Palaszczuk-Miles Government had overseen the worst cost-pressures in the nation.
“The LNP is stepping up to deliver cost relief by examining why costs are skyrocketing under this Government and how we can ease them,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“Queenslanders are crying out for cost relief and the LNP has been listening.
“Electricity, transport, insurance, and water prices have all soared under Labor and Queenslanders need cost-relief not more cost rises.
“Alarmingly, Labor excluded the most critical drivers of the Queensland Cost of Living Crisis from examination in the Inquiry.
“Queenslanders expect their Government to do everything in its power to drive down costs, not be the reason cost of living is skyrocketing.
“Where Labor has failed, we are acting to help deliver the cost of living relief Queenslanders deserve.”
Shadow Minister for Energy and Cost of Living Deb Frecklington said an Inquiry that failed to hold a mirror up to the State Government’s impact on costs would be failing Queenslanders.
“Both Steven Miles and the big supermarkets must be held accountable, but accountability comes from shining a light on Government’s role in cost escalations,” Ms Frecklington said.
“It will be up to the crossbench to decide where they stand.
“On one side is Steven Miles standing with the big supermarkets, on the other side is Queenslanders drowning under the cost of living crisis and Labor.
“Queenslanders know Steven Miles and the big supermarkets have four things in common.
“They don’t care about you, they only care about themselves, they’re bad for cost of living and they must be held accountable for their actions.
“In just one year Queenslanders’ power bills have skyrocketed a whopping 20 per cent, triple the national average, after our major power plant at Callide has been offline for nearly three years, with Labor failing to fix it.
“Labor can either support expanding the Cost of Living Inquiry or explain to Queenslanders why they’re standing in the way of cost of living relief.
“Now is the time to step-up or get out of the way to allow the LNP to take action.
“Refusing to listen and examine these impacts will show Labor has the wrong priorities and is more interested in grabbing another headline than delivering the cost of living relief Queenslanders urgently need.
“Queenslanders can’t afford for Labor’s constant state of chaos and crisis to stand in the way of easing the Queensland Cost of Living Crisis.”
The LNP has the Right Priorities for Queensland’s Future, including saving you paying for Labor’s failures.
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