Website blunder means LNP must can $6 million asset sales PR campaign

Media Release Shadow Treasurer Curtis Pitt says the LNP’s $6 million taxpayer-funded asset sales campaign should be scrapped immediately because it has a $28 billion “black hole” that is intentionally deceiving Queenslanders. “The mean and tricky Newman Government is wasting taxpayers’ funds on a campaign that misleads those same taxpayers because of a major flaw that makes any public submissions meaningless,” Mr Pitt said. “The website tells Queenslanders they can pay off $28 billion worth of debt through the private sector financing of electricity assets." “That $28 billion is future investment that doesn’t yet exist. Those funds are proposed to be invested in the network in the future and as such will never be available to repay debt." “That means Tim Nicholls’s $6 million website and saturation advertising campaign is fatally flawed. The Treasurer is wasting $6 million of taxpayer money to mislead Queenslanders." “This website has been revealed for what it really is: taxpayer-funded push polling that intentionally deceives Queenslanders with inaccurate information." “The Treasurer’s dodgy website says if you undertake private sector financing of electricity assets you can reduce Queensland’s $80 billion debt position to just over $51.6 billion." “Whichever way Tim Nicholls tries to spin it, it is patently and deliberately false." “Selling off the rights to future electricity infrastructure investment, along with the profits that infrastructure would return, will do nothing to pay back debt currently held as the website says it would." “Given its been paid for by taxpayers as part of the LNP’s politically motivated $6 million PR campaign, the website should be completely abolished, and the LNP should repay the costs incurred so far because it is a blatantly political ad campaign.” Mr Pitt said the Treasurer was arrogantly pointing people to this website knowing it had a serious mistake that helped him make asset sales look more attractive. “I don’t believe this was a mistake. Tim Nicholls is Australia’s trickiest Treasurer, but this time he’s been too tricky for his own good,” he said. “The campaign has also been developed with the support of the private PR ‘spin doctors’ engaged by the government at up to $20,000 a month.” The Treasurer should immediately remove the website from the internet, Mr Pitt said. “Taxpayer funds should not continue to be wasted on a false advertising campaign that does nothing but promotes the LNP’s political priorities." “The website should be cancelled immediately and the LNP should use their own political funds to pay back taxpayers for this blatant waste of their money.”