ID :
50652
Mon, 03/16/2009 - 09:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/50652
The shortlink copeid
Qld election campaigns officially begin
(AAP) - Queenslanders were promised thousands of new jobs by both major parties as they officially launched their state election campaigns on Sunday.
Labor and the Liberal National Party (LNP) each chose Sunday to kick off their bids
for Saturday's election, on opposite sides of the Brisbane River and only an hour
apart.
At the LNP launch, Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg announced a $727 million
"Rebuild Queensland" package, advancing work on nearly $1.4 billion worth of
infrastructure projects and creating 10,000 jobs.
Mr Springborg told 1,000 guests nearly half of the funds would be saved by scrapping
the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam, with the rest to come from cutting government
waste.
The LNP is funding its election promises with a three per cent "efficiency dividend"
- or $1 billion in waste to be cut from the public service budget each year.
Labor says the move would cost up to 12,000 jobs, but Mr Springborg questioned its
economic credentials.
"The Labor Party say to us in Queensland, where is all the money coming from?" Mr
Springborg said.
"We simply say to them - where has all the money gone?
"If you chalk up $74 billion worth of debt in the good times, you have no hope in
the bad times."
Meanwhile, Labor set a target of creating more than 100,000 new jobs if re-elected.
Premier Anna Bligh told 700 guests that this was in contrast to the LNP's efficiency
targets.
"Queenslanders have a stark choice - a choice between jobs and cuts," Ms Bligh said.
While it dealt with the global financial crisis, Ms Bligh said Labor would not
forget the environmental crisis of climate change.
She announced a plan to bulk purchase 200,000 solar hot water systems and make them
available to families for $500 and pensioners for $100 - creating up to 500 jobs and
cutting carbon emissions by up to 540,000 tonnes over three years.
Ms Bligh also promised to add three southwest Queensland rivers to its Wild Rivers
protection program, and cut fertiliser run-off to the Great Barrier Reef by 50 per
cent within four years.
"It's not a case of jobs versus the environment as our opponents suggest," she said.
"We need to protect jobs and protect our environment."
Ms Bligh said maintaining government services in financially difficult times was a
challenge, but promised to boost schools with an extra 500 fulltime equivalent
teacher aides, and spend almost $42 million over three years on maternity services.
Both party's federal leaders attended the launches.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd endorsed Ms Bligh as "a good person, a strong leader, with
a no-nonsense, practical, down-to-earth approach".
He also accused the federal and state opposition of trying to shirk responsibility
for the global financial crisis.
In his speech, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull accused the Bligh government of
delivering a terrible trifecta in Queensland of higher unemployment, higher debt and
more strikes.
"They're so incompetent they couldn't sell fresh fish to starving seals," Mr
Turnbull said.
Labor and the Liberal National Party (LNP) each chose Sunday to kick off their bids
for Saturday's election, on opposite sides of the Brisbane River and only an hour
apart.
At the LNP launch, Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg announced a $727 million
"Rebuild Queensland" package, advancing work on nearly $1.4 billion worth of
infrastructure projects and creating 10,000 jobs.
Mr Springborg told 1,000 guests nearly half of the funds would be saved by scrapping
the proposed Traveston Crossing Dam, with the rest to come from cutting government
waste.
The LNP is funding its election promises with a three per cent "efficiency dividend"
- or $1 billion in waste to be cut from the public service budget each year.
Labor says the move would cost up to 12,000 jobs, but Mr Springborg questioned its
economic credentials.
"The Labor Party say to us in Queensland, where is all the money coming from?" Mr
Springborg said.
"We simply say to them - where has all the money gone?
"If you chalk up $74 billion worth of debt in the good times, you have no hope in
the bad times."
Meanwhile, Labor set a target of creating more than 100,000 new jobs if re-elected.
Premier Anna Bligh told 700 guests that this was in contrast to the LNP's efficiency
targets.
"Queenslanders have a stark choice - a choice between jobs and cuts," Ms Bligh said.
While it dealt with the global financial crisis, Ms Bligh said Labor would not
forget the environmental crisis of climate change.
She announced a plan to bulk purchase 200,000 solar hot water systems and make them
available to families for $500 and pensioners for $100 - creating up to 500 jobs and
cutting carbon emissions by up to 540,000 tonnes over three years.
Ms Bligh also promised to add three southwest Queensland rivers to its Wild Rivers
protection program, and cut fertiliser run-off to the Great Barrier Reef by 50 per
cent within four years.
"It's not a case of jobs versus the environment as our opponents suggest," she said.
"We need to protect jobs and protect our environment."
Ms Bligh said maintaining government services in financially difficult times was a
challenge, but promised to boost schools with an extra 500 fulltime equivalent
teacher aides, and spend almost $42 million over three years on maternity services.
Both party's federal leaders attended the launches.
Prime Minister Kevin Rudd endorsed Ms Bligh as "a good person, a strong leader, with
a no-nonsense, practical, down-to-earth approach".
He also accused the federal and state opposition of trying to shirk responsibility
for the global financial crisis.
In his speech, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull accused the Bligh government of
delivering a terrible trifecta in Queensland of higher unemployment, higher debt and
more strikes.
"They're so incompetent they couldn't sell fresh fish to starving seals," Mr
Turnbull said.
