2nd October 2007Premier Anna Bligh should scrap her State Government’s forced council
amalgamations plan if she is serious about “listening to the voice of
the regions”, the Queensland Coalition said today.
State Coalition Leader Jeff Seeney said regional Queenslanders’
opposition to forced council amalgamations had been just as loud and
strong as their opposition to daylight saving.
“Labor’s forced council amalgamations plan is one of the biggest issues
to confront Queensland communities in a generation and the issue has
touched a raw nerve in regional and rural Queensland in particular,” he
said.
“Tens of thousands of Queenslanders from everywhere from Julia Creek to
Noosa have rallied, signed petitions and written letters voicing
opposition to the State Labor Government’s forced council amalgamations
agenda.
“The Premier claimed yesterday she made her decision on daylight saving
because of her promise to ‘listen to the regions’. But why is she
listening to the regions on daylight savings and putting her fingers in
her ears on forced council amalgamations?
“For the past nine years, Labor has deliberately sought to drive a wedge
between city and country Queenslanders with its policies on vegetation
management, water and forced council amalgamations, and Anna Bligh has
been sitting at the Cabinet table when all those decisions were made.
“Anna Bligh needs to do more than just maintain the status quo on
daylight saving, and don the Akubra and R M Williams boots during a
fly-in, fly-out visit to Charleville, to convince regional Queenslanders
that things will change now she’s Premier.”
Media Contact – Jeff Popp 0438 153 857