Frontline Jobs Go At Tallebudgera

Media Release.

Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk says the LNP government’s sacking of catering staff at the Tallebudgera Outdoor Education School destroys the Premier’s claim that he is preserving frontline jobs and frontline services.

Ms Palaszczuk said in addition to the jobs lost at Tallebudgera the LNP’s first State Budget took away more than it gave to the Gold Coast including $154 million slashed from the region’s infrastructure budget.

“I am not sure how the Premier argues that the dedicated staff who plan, prepare and serve more than 200,000 meals a year to the young Queenslanders at the Tallebudgera centre are not in frontline jobs or are not delivering frontline services,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“Any reasonable person would agree the 27 staff whose jobs are going at Tallebudgera are on the frontline. They deliver an essential service directly to students using the centre so in my view that means they are on the frontline.

“Like 14,000 other Queenslanders, the Tallebudgera catering staff have had their jobs cut at the stroke of the Premier’s pen despite the promises he made before the election.

“I’m sure the LNP never letterboxed election brochures saying their jobs would be going if the LNP won office. In fact they had Mr Newman’s word that they had nothing to fear from him or an LNP government.”

Ms Palaszczuk said she was appalled by reports that the government had decided to cut the jobs of its own employees before telling staff of its plans.

In August the LNP government called tenders for catering services at Active Recreation Centres operated by the Department of National Parks, Recreation, Sport and Racing including Tallebudgera where Education Department staff operate the catering service.

“The people being sacked are Gold Coast residents who have mortgages or rent payments to make, children to put through school and may have plans for family holidays,” she said.

“Yet the Newman Government didn’t think it necessary to tell them of its plans to sack them ahead of calling tenders for a new catering supplier. Unfortunately it is typical of the LNP government to treat its own employees in such an arrogant manner.”

Ms Palaszczuk said while the former Labor Government poured billions into the Gold Coast in the form of the new Gold Coast University Hospital and the rapid transit project, the Newman Government was determined to rip money out of the area.

“At the same time the LNP government is sacking people, axing services and failing to provide funding for infrastructure it tries to claim credit for projects already under construction thanks to the former Labor Government,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“The $1.3 billion Gold Coast Rapid Transit project was initiated and funded by state and federal Labor Governments and the $1.76 billion, 750-bed Gold Coast University Hospital opening in December was initiated and built by the former Labor Government.

“By comparison the LNP’s first State Budget takes the Gold Coast backwards. It provides $1.344 billion for the region, compared to last year’s $1.498 billion – ripping $154 million away from Gold Coast residents.

“At the same time this Premier managed to find $3.5 million in the Budget to start planning his one new infrastructure project for Queensland — a shiny new Executive Building for himself in the Brisbane CBD.

“The Premier can find money for his pet project but not for frontline jobs and services. It shows how twisted this government’s priorities are.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the LNP had already:

•  cut 93 health staff from the Gold Coast Hospital and Health Service including 18 from the Robina and Gold Coast hospital emergency departments and 16 from surgical departments

•  axed the coast’s share of the $1.2 million State Emergency Service Cadet Program

•  slashed $2.15 million in employment programs in the Gold Coast region that were supporting 1,008 job seekers

•  failed to deliver its promised $1.2 million police beat at Burleigh, and

•  failed to deliver 100 extra police to the Gold Coast, instead spreading them across the Gold Coast, Coomera and Logan police districts.

Ms Palaszczuk said sacking 14,000 Queenslanders was a false economy.

“When you take away pay packets, you also bring pain to the whole community – especially the small business community,” she said.

“People stop going to the local coffee shop, they no longer go to the local hairdresser and dry-cleaner, they are forced to cut back spending on things like a night at the movies or dinner at the local club.