August 16, 2019
The LNP has accused the State Government of misleading the public about the level of funding it’s putting towards Rural Fire Brigades.
Shadow Minister for Emergency Services Lachlan Millar said Minister Craig Crawford had claimed there was nearly $13 million (or 25 per cent) more in the 2019-20 budget for Rural Fire services.
“In March, Minister Crawford was bragging that Labor had increased Rural Fire funding ‘by a third to $52 million’ compared to the $39 million it inherited from the LNP in 2015,” Mr Millar said.
“But when questioned in Estimates and under Parliamentary oath, Minister Crawford came clean and admitted the budget had in fact not grown at all.
“Instead it was still $39 million in 2019-20 – the same as in 2015.
“This means funding for Queensland’s Rural Fire Service has stalled under the Palaszczuk Labor Government. With no increase to even cover CPI, this is effectively a cut.
“What we have here is a Minister willing to say one thing in the regions, but something completely different in Parliament.”
