{"id":196410,"date":"2017-11-22T13:54:36","date_gmt":"2017-11-22T03:54:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=196410"},"modified":"2020-06-29T17:57:43","modified_gmt":"2020-06-29T07:57:43","slug":"lets-keep-our-great-local-mp","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2017\/11\/22\/lets-keep-our-great-local-mp\/","title":{"rendered":"Let’s Keep Our Great Local MP"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>November 22, 2017<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Dafyd Martindale<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Queensland State election will be held this Saturday, and the South Burnett faces some tough choices.<\/p>\n

On the one hand, our region’s LNP member Deb Frecklington has been an outstanding representative for our area over the past six years, and I believe she deserves to be returned to George Street for another term of office.<\/p>\n

In just two terms, Mrs Frecklington has secured more than $65 million for the South Burnett.<\/p>\n

This is more State investment than we saw in the previous 12 years when we were represented by independents or minor parties.<\/p>\n

And we could easily double that in the next term if the LNP wins government.<\/p>\n

On the other hand, the possibility of an LNP State Government led by Tim Nicholls fills many people with dread, and I share that feeling.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Nicholls was Treasurer during the Newman Government.<\/p>\n

That government squandered its overwhelming majority by making such a mess of things it was thrown out on its ear after just one term.<\/p>\n

In the two years and 10 months since then, the Palaszczuk Government has laboured long and hard to pick up the pieces. And I think they’ve done a pretty remarkable job, all things considered.<\/p>\n

They’ve reduced average unemployment from 6.6 per cent to 5.9 per cent and made Queensland the major job-creating State in Australia; reined in energy price rises to CPI (or less); and managed to pay down a few billion dollars of the State’s debt. And they’ve done all of it without selling any public assets, and without slashing 14,000 jobs.<\/p>\n

The Palaszczuk Government has also restored many important frontline service positions and community welfare programs that the Newman Government axed.<\/p>\n

And to their undying credit, they fulfilled all the LNP’s promises to the Nanango electorate, too: the new Kingaroy and Nanango police stations, a refurbished Kingaroy Court House and a $1.5 million upgrade to the roads leading into Swickers are testament to this.<\/p>\n

The Palaszczuk Government’s achievements are even more remarkable when you consider they have had to rely on cross-bench support to get most of their programs across the line.<\/p>\n

So the choice is stark: Do went want to return an LNP Government and get a wodge of money spent in the Nanango electorate, but run the risk of seeing the State brutally mismanaged again?<\/p>\n

Or do we return an ALP government that has distinguished itself (in comparison to what it replaced) despite being in a minority, and brought back good sense and compassion?<\/p>\n

My view is that we should re-elect Mrs Frecklington in Nanango, but re-elect the Palaszczuk Government to run Queensland.<\/strong><\/p>\n

We should re-elect Mrs Frecklington because she has done as good a job in Opposition as she has in Government, and deserves to continue representing us. She is hard-working, personable, easily approachable and a formidable fighter for our region, and we’re very lucky to have her.<\/p>\n

But we should re-elect the Palaszczuk Government because it deserves a longer time to see the many innovative policies it has launched grow, develop and produce fruit.<\/p>\n

We’ll need to rely on the rest of Queensland to do the heavy lifting if the Palaszczuk Government is to retain power.<\/p>\n

But we can at least vote to retain an MP that many other regions would kill to have as their representative.<\/p>\n

With no disrespect to any other candidate running against Mrs Frecklington in Saturday’s election, she has the runs on the board.<\/p>\n

And the South Burnett has done very well out of her work over the past five years and 10 months, no matter what our personal political persuasions.<\/p>\n