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TODAY’S State Budget will unveil 140,000 new jobs over the next two years fueled by surging business investment and the might of the resources sector.
State Treasurer Andrew Fraser (pictured) has promised a $10,000 grant for those building new homes in today’s state budget and says that after being bucketed by rain, Queensland is headed for economic sunshine.
“There is a jobs boom coming and we need to keep building to accommodate our future growth,” he says.
“The 2011-12 Budget will include a capital works program of $14.9 billion – supporting 93,000 jobs and delivering the infrastructure our growing population and surging economy needs.
“There can be no doubting the fact that Queensland is Australia’s capital of opportunity – if you’re looking for a job, looking for a new career or looking for new opportunities, Queensland is the place to be.”
Fraser says on top of the state’s near $15 billion building program, there are two LNG projects in Gladstone, both requiring $15 billion investment each, while the building programs of Western Australia and Victoria combined equate to only $16 billion.
“Queensland is a building site, which means jobs, jobs and more jobs – we have always maintained our focus on creating and supporting jobs,” he says.
“Today’s Budget Papers will show a surge in business investment in 2011-2012 of 27 three-quarter per cent. The national economy is only expecting an increase of 16 per cent. Business investment will not only be central to our own economic recovery, but it will drive the nation’s prosperity.”
The Treasurer says the budget will reveal that business investment grew this year by 13 per cent, despite the natural disasters and exceeded the nine per cent forecast.
However LNP Leader Campbell Newman has accused the Bligh government of responding to the state’s crippling power bills by offering ‘gadgets, gizmo’s and gimmicks’.
Newman says the Labor government is offering a ‘stand-by power eliminator’ in this week’s budget as part of its $50 ClimateSmart service, but refusing to give it to 277,000 Queenslanders trying to reduce costs.
“The government blamed their recently announced $120 increase in electricity bills on people using less electricity, so any further reduction in household power use will see even higher increases,” he says.
Newman says there’s more bad news on the way with the Gillard Government’s green policies forcing up electricity prices by another 30 per cent.
“No amount of budget trickery can disguise the fact that Labor policies have already forced one-third of Queenslanders into poverty, or close to it,” he says.
“The latest gimmick shows the Blight government budget will have plenty of spin, and as usual, no substance.
“Queensland are sick and tired of all the hollow promises of this government – including the original like that the privatisation of electricity assets would result in lower prices for consumers.”
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