LNP Must Immediately Cease Wasteful Privatisation and Asset Sales.

Media Release.

The Newman Government has been caught out twice in less than three weeks losing taxpayers’ money on the privatisation of services and the sale of assets.

Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt said at the same time the Newman government was already selling assets and had given its strongest indication that it would sell more, the Auditor-General had made it clear the LNP was selling Queenslanders short with their fire-sale of government services.

Mr Pitt said in his Report to Parliament 10 for 2013-14, the Auditor-General said the sale of services within the Department of Community Safety, the Department of Housing and Public Works and the Department of Transport and Main Roads were not achieving solid results.

The Auditor-General found that:

“The audited departments could not consistently demonstrate that they achieved value for money from their goods and services contracts, or got the best solution for the best price… As such, there is a greater risk that their transition to outsourcing services under a contestability model would not achieve the desired outcomes.”

Based on the Auditor-General’s findings, Mr Pitt said the government needed to immediately halt its mass privatisation of services through contestability.

“Not only will communities suffer from reduced services, the Auditor-General’s report makes it clear that the taxpayer won’t even get bang for their buck,” Mr Pitt said. 

“The Newman Government also needs to provide a full and frank explanation about why they have lost taxpayers’ money selling off government buildings and property."

“The 2012-13 Report on State Finances last month found that the Newman Government made a loss on asset sales and investments of $302 million in just one year."

“Today the Newman Government must commit to stop their plans for the mass-outsourcing of front-line services and cease their mass sale of assets without an election mandate."

“Already $3.9 billion in assets have been sold with no mandate from the people."

“The Premier can say whatever he wants now but clearly before the election, he said he would not sell assets without taking the issue to an election."

“Now this arrogant and unaccountable Newman government is on track to engage in the largest asset sale and privatisation program in Queensland’s history and everyone should be aware of that."

“The former Labor government saw the results of asset sales at the last election."

“The difference here is that under the LNP government, people don’t even know this is happening.”