Tuesday 29 September, 2020
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s FIFO visit to the Mackay region cannot hide Labor’s job-destroying, anti-resources agenda, the LNP said today.
The LNP said the Premier was trying to dupe resource industry workers by claiming to support their industry in the regions – while blocking resource projects from her desk in Brisbane.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is anti-regions, anti-resources and anti-jobs,” LNP leader Deb Frecklington said.
“Even the CFMMEU says Labor is anti-mining and has no plan for jobs.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk repeatedly moved the goalposts to stop the Adani project from going ahead, and now she’s doing the same thing by blocking the New Acland stage 3 mine expansion.
“Just like she did with Adani, Annastacia Palaszczuk is sacrificing resource jobs to save her own.
“Labor has betrayed regional communities which rely on the resources industry.
“Labor has refused to hold a full Parliamentary inquiry into safety in the mining industry despite the tragedies we have seen over the past two years.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk increased gas royalties by 25% – creating even more uncertainty for the resources industry and destroying even more jobs.
“If Labor wins on October 31, Jackie Trad will be back pulling the strings of the Palaszczuk Labor Government and our vital resource industry will face a bleak future.
“Remember, Labor have already told resource workers they need to ‘re-skill’.”
Ms Frecklington said an LNP Government would immediately approve the New Acland stage 3 project on the Darling Downs. The LNP would also:
- Freeze resource royalty rates for 10 years – a move the industry has said will help to unlock $50bn of investment and 15,000 new jobs in the Galilee Basin.
- Reform Labor’s biased approval process for new resource projects.
- Reinstate the position of Queensland Resources Industry Commissioner to promote the state to international investors (a position cut by the Palaszczuk Labor Government).
Ms Frecklington said Labor also had tough questions to answer in Mackay about crime, health, electricity prices and tax.
“The Premier needs to explain why robberies in Mackay have soared by 153% under her watch, while car thefts have increased by 139%,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The waiting list for surgery at Mackay Base Hospital grew by 47% under Labor too, before covid.
“The Palaszczuk Labor Government is rorting Mackay consumers and businesses by refusing to introduce regional retail electricity competition – a policy backed by her own Productivity Commission.
“The LNP will introduce competition and drive down Mackay power bills by an average of $300 – but Labor prefers to let Ergon rip off local consumers and hand the profits to the Palaszczuk Government.
“Queenslanders have also been smashed with nine new and increased taxes under Labor, ripping almost $4bn out of our struggling economy.
“It’s time for the Premier to come clean on her tax plans.
“Every Government she has led has put up taxes and if she wins again there will be more tax pain to come.”
