The State Opposition urged Far North Queensland business owners concerned about the rising costs of doing business to have their say about cutting government waste and red tape today.

The LNP Waste Watch Shadow Minister Fiona Simpson and LNP Candidates for Cairns, Barron River, Mulgrave and Cook are inviting business owners to share their concerns.

“Under the watch of Australia’s worst treasurer Andrew Fraser, this lazy, tired 20 year old Labor Government has not only racked up an $85 billion debt with an interest bill of $595,000 an hour, but has also lost Queensland’s AAA credit rating,” Ms Simpson said.

Ms Simpson and the LNP Candidates met with a number of concerned businesses today as Ms Simpson conducts a series of statewide forums to meet with Queenslanders who are hurting from the high cost of living pressures fed by wasteful Government policies. 

LNP Shadow Minister for ICT Ros Bates has accused the Bligh government of being in panic election catch-up mode with the belated announcement that it will appoint a Chief Information Officer.

The LNP has long been calling for someone to take charge and sort out the many crises dogging the Bligh government’s ICT. 

“This incompetent government has had two long decades to get on top of Information and Communication Technology, but it’s one area where they have had repeated catastrophic and expensive failures,” she said.

“Already the Health fiasco has blown out to $220 million and will only get worse.  80,000 Queensland Health workers have for 18 months been screaming out for improved government computer systems.

“The new ‘smart’ Queensland driver’s licence budget has also exploded from $50 million to $150 million.

Households are footing an ever increasing cost for the Bligh Government’s bungled Wyaralong Dam project, LNP Shadow Minister for Energy and Water Utilities Steve Dickson said today.

“The much lauded Wyaralong Dam still has not been connected to the water grid, but taxpayers are footing bills in bulk water prices that have increased by an estimated $50 a year to cover the construction costs,” Mr Dickson said.

The Government couldn’t confirm the cost to connect the dam to the grid was an estimated $545 million. In fact, this morning the Queensland Water Commission has admitted the dam may not be connected to the grid until 2027 – 16 years away.

Labor’s $25 million taxpayer funded advertising spree* to spruik the carbon tax just proves they will try to buy their way back into power, the State Opposition warned today.

LNP Shadow Minister for Waste Watch Fiona Simpson said Federal Labor’s costly carbon tax ad blitz is another case of wasting taxpayer’s money.

“This sort of waste is in Labor’s DNA – the Queensland government is spending $7m a month on its own political advertising.