Graham Perrett (Moreton, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

This motion put forward today by the member for Ryan, before she scurried out of this place, completely ignores the true intentions of the Liberal-National government's harsh budget cuts. The Abbott government's $80 billion cuts to schools and hospitals is a clear broken promise from a government that promised no cuts to health and no cuts to education. They said they would be a government of no surprises, but the premiers are still reeling from the Treasurer's budget night ambush. The impact of the government's $50 billion cut to health will increase emergency department waiting times in Queensland; it will increase elective surgery waiting times and reduce the number of hospital beds across the country. These cuts will mean fewer doctors, fewer nurses, fewer midwives; they will mean fewer psychologists, radiographers and oncologists. The coalition's $50 billion cut to Australian hospitals is equivalent to sacking one in three doctors or one in five nurses, or shutting down one in 13 hospital beds. As the AMA—that great left-wing institution!—has highlighted, public hospitals are already stretched to meet demand and these drastic cuts will cripple the health system, especially as we age as a society.

In my home state of Queensland, electorates are feeling the sting from both federal and state LNP governments putting health under the chopping block. The Queensland state budget revealed that the federal coalition government is costing Queenslanders $16 billion in cuts to hospitals and schools in my state—the same state the member for Ryan and the member for Forde call home, although this motion suggests the member for Ryan has now moved to La La Land.

Queensland budget papers clearly state:

Of particular concern, the 2014-15 Commonwealth Budget indicated that the Australian government will amend funding arrangements for public hospitals (from 1 July 2017) and schools (from 1 January 2018) to generate savings across all states of over $80 billion in the period to 2024-25. Queensland's per capita share of this saving would amount to a reduction of around $16 billion in Australian government funding.

That is Campbell Newman's own budget papers. This immense pressure being put on states to foot the bill is just this government's strategy to increase the GST—as we heard on the weekend—in an economy where Australians are already struggling to meet cost-of-living pressures. Governments, good governments, should be part of the solution when it comes to cost of living, not part of the problem.

Queenslanders are now paying a high price for the Liberal-National Party's unfair budget. This poisonous budget means that Queensland families will not get the health care they need, and Queensland students, who we invest in in terms of creating a new tomorrow, will not get the great education they deserve. For example, every single state school in Moreton, every single state school in Forde, and every single state school in Ryan—all of those electorates—will be on average $3.2 million worse off. This is the equivalent of sacking one in seven teachers, or $1,000 less support for every child every year.

When we look back at the records of the Howard government, they can proudly say they built 3,000 flag poles. The Rudd and Gillard governments built 3,000 libraries. The LNP government cut $3 million from every school, a wonderful legacy which I am sure those opposite are proud of. Principals will be forced to spend their time dealing with funding cuts, when all they want to do is get on with improving their skills. Subject choices, teachers' assistants, sport, music programs and extension and remedial support—all those things that make communities hum and schools sing—will be cut.

If massive cuts to hospitals and schools are not enough, this federal budget will also impact on Queensland's state seniors card holders and more than 600,000 Queensland pensioner concession card holders. These concessions are currently worth a total of $335.6 million to Queenslanders. Of that, the Commonwealth provides $54 million in 2014-15, money that the Prime Minister is ripping away. The designated public transport concession for seniors card holders will be abolished all together, and I am sure the member for Grayndler recognises how that shows the current government has no faith in public transport.

Queensland's budget confirms that the Prime Minister lied when he said there will be no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no changes to pensions. Before the election, the Prime Minister promised no cuts to education; that is not the case. There is a strong odour or mendacity emanating from those opposite. The Queensland Premier, Campbell Newman knew this, knew the extent of the cuts, but still he has tried to keep it secret, but his budget papers reveal it all.

Documents recently released show that Queensland schools will be billions of dollars worse off as a result of this government's harsh budget cuts. The information from Queensland's education department reveal the axing of 10 centres for children and families in Indigenous communities around Queensland due to federal government cuts, despite the Prime Minister being the minister responsible for that area.

This is another example of a successful community program being ripped away from those who are most vulnerable in Queensland.

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