Agree with you absolutely – and this is just the tip of the iceberg. The state government has also abolished a modest taxi subsidy for wheelchair users (introduced to counter the difficulty many wheelchair users have getting a taxi to collect them) plans to close beds at the Prince Charles has closed operating theatres in Cairns is closing the TB centre at Mater (whose work is by the way judged an essential part of the fight against TB by the World Health Organization) is offering real terms pay decreases to the Ambos and paramedics and much more besides.
All this in the name of “cost cutting” to recover Queensland’s debt in a context where a member of the government’s own audit team has testified under oath that prior to the election the state government’s recurrent expenses (i.e. everything apart from capital builds and disaster recovery) were less than its operating revenue. The Costello audit report by the way does not deny this basic fact.
And then there is the question of what the government can find money for: Clive Palmer’s law suit against federal tax a racecourse and goat racing.
Whatever your party colours there are two questions here. First there’s a real question about whether the government has its priorities and principles right. And second there’s the question of integrity – before the election the LNP promised there would be no cuts to frontline services and no public service jobs cuts. Four months or so in and both of these promises have been well and truly broken. All I ask is that the broken promises of this government be treated in the same way by the good people of Ferny Grove as the broken promises of other governments were treated. We should expect more of our politicians and should hold them to account.