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Parliament hearings uncover Bligh government bungling

The budget estimates hearings over the last fortnight, have revealed widespread mismanagement of the state by the Bligh government. This tired Labor Government has stagnated after two decades in power and Queenslanders are the worse off for it.. Estimates hearings confirmed how the bungled health payroll affair continues to lurch from disaster to disaster. 

Also confirmed was the blatant waste of assets like Wyaralong Dam – as well as delays to infrastructure projects, and budget funding cuts for essential departments such as disabilities and multicultural affairs. 

While Premier Anna Bligh has publicly said she wants a better deal for Queenslanders under the horrendous carbon tax, each and every Labor Minister told parliament they supported it.  The hearings also revealed that the government has not made allowances for the impact the tax is going to have on the lives of every Queenslander.  

The LNP has a simple, one point plan on the carbon tax.  The LNP will reject it because it is not in the interests of businesses and families - and will have no effect on the environment. 

Across the board, Labor Ministers found it difficult to justify their department expenditure, and could not explain where the money cut from budgets and crucial services like policing was being spent. 

If Labor can’t even keep track of the carparks it’s paying money for in Brisbane, can they be trusted with governing the state? 

The answer is they can’t.  

NB: Following is just a quick summary some of key information made public during estimates.  

ESTIMATES REVELATIONS 

Building Services (Transport, Local Govt Committee)

·         There is a problem with dispute resolution in building services where once a builder takes an issue to QCAT, it can no longer be examined by the BSA. This can disadvantage homeowners who are trying to rectify defective work.

Child Safety

·         Caseloads are increasing and time frames for investigations are not being met because the Government cannot fill its staff requirements

.·         The Minister announced additional 10 child safety officer positions, but there are already 18 such unfilled positions statewide.

Community Affairs

·         Blue card waiting times have blown out to more than six months, hurting non-government organisations as they try to recruit staff and volunteers

·         At the same time, a loophole has allowed a blue card to be granted to a man with a conviction for manslaughter (in a domestic violence situation) through an appeal to QCAT.

·         The Government is calling for greater efficiency in the non government sector – despite increased costs and increased demands – while at the same time they are increasing their staff and expenses, as evidenced by a 30 per cent, $160 million increase in supplies and services in one year

Corrective Services

·         Violence is on the rise in Queensland prisons with the government keeping a large riot at Woodford prison hushed up.

·         Lack of funding means no surveillance officers in the busiest region for probation and parole, Premier Anna Bligh’s own electorate of South Brisbane. 

Disability Services, Mental Health (Health and Disability Committee)

·         Forensic Disability service will cater to a very small number of people in comparison to the actual number of people who require the service.

·         The Minister advised that the current 27 funding pools (and associated costs) were required “because you need to have a plan” but admitted there was a move towards streamlining funding into one funding pool

·         The Minister and Director-General attempted to blame cuts to services and number of users of services on people using services for longer (therefore preventing new users). 

Emergency Services

·         Fire service numbers stalling and there is no guarantee on services for Ambulance service after levy is cut. 

Environment

·         Koala Response Strategy underspent by $9.5m last year and total estimated cost has been revised down.

·         Tourism operators on Fraser Island are being slugged more than double the per/person fee for island-based tourism products. International visitor numbers down, backpackers and other tourism businesses closing in Fraser Coast/Fraser Island region

·         The vast majority of Queensland’s protected areas are yet to have formalised management plans completed despite Labor being in power for 20 years and the Auditor-General finding these were in breach of the Act. 

Finance & Trade

·         DEEDI Director-General, Ian Fletcher, stated the decision to move the LA Trade office wasn’t made until after the lease was signed, but after emails were made public, wrote a letter to the committee saying he would now give a different answer.

·         Despite massive asset sales Queensland Government debt is still forecasted to peak at $85 billion. This is the same peak as forecasted before the asset sale program. 

Fisheries

·         Minister Wallace confirms the Bligh Government’s Snapper Ban backflip was based on politics instead of science; admitting the last pertinent research dates back to April 2009.

·         Minister Wallace admits that his “fishing budget doesn’t look at the Carbon Tax”. Cost of boats up, marine industry jobs to go and the cost of recreational fishing will rise. 

Health

·         Cost of payroll to increase by $10 million to $220 million. The Bligh Government refused to support an LNP’s call for a parliamentary inquiry.

·         There is a backlog of maintenance for public hospitals worth over $300 million.

·         Never before seen statistics revealed Queensland children under 14 years of age were not getting access to emergency departments on time in Brisbane, Gladstone, Toowoomba, Gold Coast, Robina, Caboolture, Redcliffe, and Nambour.

·         Queensland Health blocked the release of an RTI in relation to e-Health prior to estimates claiming the data had been permanently lost, but later confessing the data did exist. 

Information & Communication Technology (ICT), Public Works (Finance and Administration Committee)

·         The e-service panel arrangement for ICT procurement has still not had its panel finalised, but the cost has grown to $219 million.

·         296 of the 513 ICT systems currently operated by the Department of Public Works have been identified for decommissioning. 

Justice and Attorney General

·         Attorney and Ombudsman continue cover up over the real amounts of unpaid SPER fines which blew out to more than $680 million with the Attorney General forced to admit this figure will keep getting larger.

·         CMC Chair refused to answer why key directors left.

·         The real cost of Labor’s taxpayer funded electoral funding rort blows out to $31 million. 

Local Government and Planning

·         State interest checks by the State Government are taking on average 80 days by state agencies, despite a target of 40 days.

·         Deputy Premier was unable to quantify the amount of affordable housing that would be delivered by ULDA, and promoted “Fonzie Flats” as the solution to affordable housing 

Main Roads

·         $326 million cut from State contribution to Main Roads construction budget.

·         $165 million cut from Federal contribution to National Network road construction budget. 

·         Bligh Labor’s lack of planning for Carbon Tax – materials and transport costs to soar/project costings to blow-out - road projects to be cancelled or postponed 

Marine Infrastructure

·         Minister Wallace hides behind “commercial in confidence” excuse and fails to explain Marine Industry-damaging lease spikes in government-owned  ports

·         Ninety minute queues to launch a boat in Keppel area. 

Mining and Natural Resources

·         It was revealed that Mining Minister Stirling Hinchliffe believed the Chief Scientist should have input across all government decisions that involve science, but Natural Resources Minister Rachel Nolan said the Chief Scientist had not been consulted on Strategic Cropping Land (SCL) criteria because he is only a specialist in Metallurgy.

Premier

·         Bligh refused to stand up for Queensland and oppose the Carbon Tax and confirmed that the State’s assets would be hit under the carbon tax

·         Premier defended the fact that $100 million was left in the Premier’s Disaster Relief Fund, saying “it was a good thing”. 

Police

·         Cuts to frontline funding on the Gold Coast and South East region despite soaring crime rates and an increase in gun related offences on the Gold Coast.

·         Police Minister admits he has had no say into policy and direction of the Police since becoming Minister. 

Racing

·         Minister Mulherin admits that a $20 million stop-gap wagering tax diversion to Racing Queensland for infrastructure upgrades wasn’t in the Budget and has materialised since.

·         Gold Coast Turf Club’s $35 million upgrade in doubt with Minister Mulherin can’t guarantee that the GCTC will get its renovation if the Board don’t permit RQ’s equity grab. 

Tourism, Small Business and Manufacturing

·         Labor happy to sit back and let tourism industry cop the full force of Julia Gillard’s carbon tax.

·         Minister admits to spruiking dodgy holiday deals with incorrect fare/accommodation prices in them and then pulling the campaign without admitting to it.

·         The level of co-operative marketing between Tourism Queensland and the private sector on the decline, indicating a loss of confidence in Tourism Queensland. 

Training

·         The Minister would not say if the Government is prepared to pay the Public Private Partnership (PPP) fee for the Southbank Institute of TAFE but that the board is looking at the situation. 

Transport

·         An internal audit tabled revealed the Bligh Government lost 16 car parks and wasted almost $80,000 more in fringe benefits tax to the Federal Government. The Department of Transport and Main Roads could not confirm for how many years the car parks had been lost and how much taxpayer money had been wasted.

·         The Minister refused to rule out higher public transport fares as a result of the carbon tax.

·         The manufacturer of licence plates LicenSys has been sold to a German firm Utsch, who is facing corruption allegations worldwide.

·         The Minister failed to answer if anyone had been held accountable for the nearly $100 million blowout of the new Queensland Driver Licence. 

Water & Energy

·         Carbon tax to increase cost of electricity generation by 50 per cent.

·         Bligh Government charging households inflated water prices for Wyaralong Dam which is still not connected to the water grid.