Drought
Mr PERRETT (Gympie—LNP) (2.18 pm): Although everyone welcomes the rain that we are
currently receiving, we are still a long way from seeing the drought over. That is why Queenslanders
deserve to see the independent review of the state’s drought programs. Daily, rural and regional
Queenslanders are living the reality of drought. Supporting drought afflicted communities and
landholders means doing the right thing. That includes being open and transparent about what is and
is not working. For almost three months the minister for agriculture has sat on a report about the drought
programs. Surely, it cannot be difficult to release a report. The only conclusion is that the minister is
either incompetent or is clearly out of his depth. The government is so arrogant that it thinks that
lip-service is all rural and regional Queenslanders deserve
This is not the first time that we have seen the Trad-Palaszczuk government’s culture of secrecy
and cover-up. They used the same playbook in the disastrous management and forced closure of the
Queensland Agricultural Training Colleges. For more than six months the minister sat on a report into
the colleges, only to announce their closures under the cover of Christmas. Is the minister hiding
something or is it that he simply does not like what the report says?
In September last year, the Western Downs Local Drought Committee, or LDC, recommended
the entire region be drought declared. The minister not only rejected the request, he sacked the
committee by press release. More than seven months later the Western Downs still does not have an
LDC. Why is the Western Downs region denied local repr esentation in the drought declaration process?
This is simply not good enough. Is it because of incompetence or is it something more sinister? Is the
minister punishing the community because it publicly defied and embarrassed him? Is the minister
punishing them because they claim to understand their own backyard better than the self-proclaimed
friend of the farmer from Ferny Grove?
The Western Downs community should not suffer because the minister cannot do the job. As a
grazier I know firsthand the effect of drought as my region has been in and out of drought declaration
in recent years. The last thing people in drought need is stonewalling from Brisbane. Drought afflicted
Queenslanders deserve better support than what they get from an out-of-touch, Brisbane-centric
government. It is time to release the independent report into the effectiveness of Queensland’s drought
programs, reappoint the Western Downs LDC and listen to local communities who are doing it tough. It
is time to be up-front and transparent with Queenslanders. Only a Deb Frecklington Liberal National
Party government will bridge the divide between the regions and the south-east by delivering real
support and assistance to drought-affected landholders and communities.