Callous nature of Newman Government revealed

Media Release.

Deputy Opposition Leader Tim Mulherin says the callous way the Newman Government has been axing government jobs has been revealed by the expose of departmental emails in news reports today.

"The emails show the pressure the LNP leadership team of the Premier, Deputy Premier and Treasurer placed on their own employees after double crossing them by saying they had nothing to fear from an LNP government," Mr Mulherin said.

"They also show how the Treasurer was a major driver of the mass sackings with his department demanding more and more jobs to be cut.

"It is no wonder the troika at the head of the LNP has managed to alienate government employees and their own MPs by their callous, ideological demands to gut a key and heavily regionalised department while hypocritically shouting themselves a new Executive Building in the Brisbane CBD."

Mr Mulherin said as this LNP Government continues to axe jobs and services across the state today's reports disclose how cold-heartedly Premier Campbell Newman has always thought of peoples jobs as merely numbers.

“As this callous LNP Government continues to slash and burn jobs and frontline services they have no regard for the effect they are having on people’s lives across Queensland,” Mr Mulherin said.

“The myth that frontline jobs are secure with the Newman Government is also debunked by revelations that the Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Forestry Director-General was requesting regular updates on figures of frontline staff through the retrenchment process.

“It is disgraceful the way this tyrannical LNP Government has terrified the public service throughout this slash and burn process in a way that has left senior departmental officers concerned about their employees welfare.

“Queenslanders will be shocked at the fear this Newman Government is creating in workplaces, where nobody knows if their job is the next on the line.

“The Premier has already admitted he is only half way through wielding his axe on government jobs, indicating there is much pain to go for employees around Queensland,” he said.

Mr Mulherin said the LNP Government made numerous election commitments to grow the agriculture sector and create career paths in agriculture across Queensland.

“Instead we see the Agriculture Minister John McVeigh on a “warpath” to slash his own department to the “bare bones”,” he said.

“Agriculture is supposed to be one of the Newman Government's four pillars of their economy, yet the Minister is more concerned about firing his own employees than growing the sector.

“How can the agriculture sector in Queensland grow when the government is hell bent on slashing the regional jobs and services which support the sector.

"Biosecurity Queensland used to be a national leader in preventing the spread of disease and pests, now it is the laughing stock of Australia.

"This is reflected through the industries disappointment in the Minister and the Director-General.

“Unfortunately, this is only the beginning from the Newman Government, we are set for much more pain in the future.”