ALP Warns Of Jobs, Services Cuts

20171122 Wide Bay Cuts Bus — Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, Cabinet ministers, Member for Bundaberg Leanne Donaldson and local branch supporters with the “Cuts Express Bus” when it visited Wide Bay on Wednesday

November 22, 2017

Wide Bay residents face having nurses sacked and community programs cut if the LNP and One Nation form a coalition government, the ALP has warned.

Health Minister Cameron Dick, Attorney General Yvette D’Ath, Innovation and Science Minister Leeanne Enoch, and Police, Fire and Emergency services Minister Mark Ryan, paid a visit to Wide Bay on Wednesday on The Cuts Express bus.

The bus is undertaking a whirlwind trip of coastal electorates between Brisbane and Cairns in the last week of the campaign.

“When Tim Nicholls was Treasurer he cut 345 frontline health workers from the region,” Mr Dick said.

“He also cut $1.6 million worth of funding from community health organisations, and another $1.26 million from 26 community groups.

“We don’t want to see this happen again.”

Ms D’Ath said Mr Nicholls announced at a press conference earlier in the campaign that he would balance his books by cutting programs as they expire.

“Mr Nicholls clearly said: ‘When programs are finished, they’re finished and that’s the end of the program, it doesn’t run on and on and on’,” she said.

“His intentions are clear. He may be claiming he has Queensland’s best interests at heart, but the evidence begs to differ.”

Ms Enoch said people in the Wide Bay had a choice to make this Saturday.

“The choice for Wide Bay residents is simple. It is a choice between a stable Government under Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, or chaos under a Nicholls-One Nation coalition, whose focus will be cutting programs, sacking workers and selling assets,” she said.

Mr Ryan said the new website www.damagedone.com.au shows Queenslanders exactly how they were hurt by Tim Nicholls’ cuts when he was Treasurer in the Newman Government.

“There is no hiding the fact that Wide Bay was hurt by the cuts Nicholls caused when he was Treasurer,” he said.

The cuts included:

345 frontline health workers, including 124 in aged care, 6 in cardiac rehabilitation, 13 in community health, 77 in health and community care, and 2 in emergency medicine

373 local TAFE workers

19 local jobs with QBuild were cut

More than $52 million in road funding

$4.7 million in roads grants to local councils over three years

55 road maintenance workers

These programs are also under threat under a Nicholls-One Nation government:

Back to Work program, which has supported 1,681 Wide Bay jobs

$77.3 million Works for Queensland grants in the Wide Bay, which has supported 2415 jobs

Skilling Queenslanders for Work program, which the LNP cut when they were in Government; since it was reinstated 684 people in Wide Bay are now in employment, 188 have gone back into training, and 18 people have returned to school

Health programs whose funding is due to expire:

$675,000 for mental health programs provided by Bridges Aligned Services to be cut on 30 June 2018

$590,000 for mental health programs provided by YMCA of Bundaberg to be cut on 30 June 2019

$73,000 for mental health programs provided by Burnett Respite Services to be cut on 30 June 2018

$250,000 for mental health programs provided by Community Lifestyle Support to be cut on 30 June 2019

$180,000 for mental health programs provided by Community Lifestyles Agency to be cut on 30 June 2019

$270,000 for mental health programs provided by Endeavour Foundation to be cut on 30 June 2019

$250,000 for mental health programs provided by Southern Cross Support Services Pty Ltd to be cut on 30 June 2019

$130,000 for mental health programs provided by Life Choice to be cut on 30 June 2019

“Tim Nicholls simply cannot be trusted,” Mr Ryan said.

“He’s cut before, and he will do it again.

“A total 134,300 new jobs have been created since the Palaszczuk Government was elected, and what’s more, we’ve seen the unemployment rate remain steady in October at 5.9 per cent compared to the 6.6 per cent Tim Nicholls left behind.

“The choice at this election is between a stable Palaszczuk Government that backs Queenslanders, and Tim Nicholls and Steve Dickson, who sacked Queenslanders.”

For the Wide Bay region, a re-elected Palaszczuk Government has committed to: