Queenslanders know the Liberal National Party will cut essential frontline services and government jobs across the State if it was ever to return to Government, but they don’t know where.

Prior to the 2012 State election, then LNP leader Campbell Newman promised public servants they would have a “bright and rewarding future” and there would be “no forced redundancies”.

Yet in its first Budget on 11 September 2012, Tim Nicholls announced:
“The total number of FTEs to be lost in 2012-13 will be 14,000…. To give Queensland public servants greater certainty, the Government has decided to bring all FTE losses into 2012-13.”

Mr Nicholls – with a straight face – has repeated Mr Newman’s promise of “no forced redundancies”.

In the two years since the last election, my Government has restored the frontline services cut so severely by Mr Newman and Mr Nicholls.

Nine out of every 10 government workers are in frontline or frontline support roles.
On behalf of Queenslanders, we have employed more doctors, nurses, teachers, police, fire, ambulance and child safety officers to provide services for Queenslanders.

Between the December 2014 and December 2016 quarters, the number of additional full-time equivalent (FTE) positions employed by the State Government include:
– 4007 extra teachers and teacher aides
– 3274 extra nurses
– 1199 extra doctors
– 295 extra ambulance officers
– 212 extra sworn police officers with an additional 94 recruits sworn in this year;
– 122 extra fire and emergency services officers and
– 71 FTE child safety officers, with an additional 129 officers to be appointed this year and more committed earlier this month.

The LNP must answer:
– If the LNP believes there are too many government workers, how many would they cut?
– If the LNP believes my Government has employed too many doctors, nurses, teachers, police, fire, ambulance and child safety officers, where are there too many?
– What hospitals now have too many doctors and nurses?
– What schools now have too many teachers and teacher aides?
– What communities now have too many ambulance, police, fire and emergency, and child safety officers?

Hon Annastacia Palaszczuk MP