The Queensland Labor government's performance has been nothing short of disastrous, and this budget reflects that. Despite an abundance of revenue, including a windfall $10 billion “sugar hit” from coal royalties this year, our essential services have been left to deteriorate. Hospitals like Gold Coast, Ipswich and Logan are plagued by ambulance ramping, leaving patients stranded and in desperate need of care. The government's promises have proven empty, and their arrogance and complacency have reached new heights.

Even with all the money pouring in, the budget fails to adequately fund crucial projects, pushing them further into the distant future. The Treasurer's vow of no new or increased taxes has turned out to be nothing but a sham, as we now face the burden of five new taxes. The state debt projection is mind-boggling, set to reach a staggering $147 billion—that’s a $50 billion increase in just four years. Meanwhile, housing remains a dire issue, with long waitlists for public housing and a sluggish pace of home construction. It's clear that the government's priorities are completely out of touch with the needs of Queenslanders.
The government's mismanagement of the energy sector also has far-reaching consequences. We need affordable, reliable energy. Despite all their promises of affordability, prices are surging. The government's failure to maintain power plants like the Callide C generator (which will be offline for at least 3 years), and invest in reliable infrastructure, has directly contributed to this problem. While the Government will provide one-off power bill relief this year, it comes with an enormous price tag to taxpayers - $1.4 billion – that will only grow in the coming years as prices continue to rise. Subsidising bills is not the answer longer term – fixing the underlying costs that make electricity so expensive is. Farmers and businesses get almost zero support from this budget, which will ultimately lead to increased prices for essential goods.
There is no end to the number of local road issues this government has failed to address for years, but this $10 billion sugar hit from coal royalties will not help either. There’s nothing new despite these rivers of gold flowing to government. There is, it seems, even a cut of $127,000 from safety works on Henry Robert Drive on Tamborine Mountain. Canungra needs road investment to deal with the growth there and in other parts of Scenic Rim and Logan. The budget delivers nothing but the cold shoulder for Canungra.
Through the council there is a proposal in relation to upgrading Gallery Walk on Tamborine Mountain, otherwise known as Tamborine-Oxenford Road. Tamborine Mountain is the jewel in the tourism crown of Scenic Rim, and this project deserves attention from the government.
When it comes to police, we are 72 police officers down across Queensland since the last election. This is something that all parts of the electorate suffer from.
Biosecurity funding has also been reduced, putting our livestock, residents, and natural environment at risk. Their handling of the fire ant eradication program is a prime example of their ineffective approach to protecting our natural flora and fauna in Queensland.
Queensland deserves better.