Time for LNP to come clean on secret list of cuts

Treasurer Cameron Dick has called on Deb Frecklington to come clean with her secret list of cuts so Queenslanders know what they are facing before they go to start voting. With postal voting and early voting to start in the week of 19 October, the Treasurer's call comes after a revealing series of comments by LNP candidates. "We've been completely upfront with Queenslanders about how we will pay for our commitments," the Treasurer said. "At last month's COVID-19 Fiscal and Economic Review I told Queensland we will borrow an additional $4 billion to fund commitments over the next term to stimulate Queensland's economy and keep Queenslanders in jobs – by comparison, the LNP have let slip that they don't plan to reveal their secret list of cuts until after hundreds of thousands of Queenslanders will already have voted." In a candidate forum in Bundaberg last night, the LNP MP David Batt said "all of our announcements have funding commitments that will be announced in the last week of the election". "The ECQ estimates up to two-thirds of votes will have been cast before polling day this year, which means more than half of Queenslanders may have voted before the LNP reveals those cuts in the last week of the campaign," the Treasurer said. "Deb Frecklington needs to come clean right now so Queenslanders know what jobs and services will be cut and where." Even more disturbingly, LNP candidate for Mirani Tracie Newitt told a candidate forum she couldn't commit to a project in Eungella because "without having a budget, we don't know what surplus we have." "This is a stark warning to all Queenslanders about even more cuts from the LNP," the Treasurer said. "They would seek to be the only government in the world to be getting back to surplus at a time when governments should be spending to support jobs and businesses. "In the final sitting week of this term, LNP frontbencher Michael Hart confirmed the LNP would limit 'general government expenditure to less than revenue'. "Because of COVID, our revenue has fallen by $6.7 billion – that means the LNP will have to find $6.7 billion worth of cuts before they cut an extra dollar to pay for their $24 billion in unfunded promises. "We're already seeing record numbers of Queenslanders preparing to vote early by requesting postal ballots – Deb Frecklington must come clean with her secret list of cuts now – every voter in this state deserves that answer."