Extract from The Morning Bulletin
CQ has some trust issues to deal with when it comes to LNP leader Tim Nicholls
After presiding over devastating cuts to the public service sector and front line services as Treasurer in Campbell Newman's government, Mr Nicholls will have his work cut out to win over the Central Queensland community.
Keppel MP Brittany Lauga said Tim Nicholls' time as Treasurer in the Newman Government was one of the most destructive in the history of the Queensland Government with unprecedented cuts to public services across the state and the sacking of 14,000 workers.
"Everywhere across our local community people tell me how they were impacted by Tim Nicholls' reckless decision to cut essential services and sack nurses, teachers and other public sector workers," Mrs Lauga said.
"Tim Nicholls' cuts in Keppel included 197 FTE staff in the Central Queensland Hospital and Health Service, including 40 nurses, 475 public sector FTE jobs from the Fitzroy region and funding cuts to Central Queensland Indigenous Development.
"They'll say and do anything to whitewash the past. Instead they should face up to it," said Mrs Lauga.
Rockhampton Candidate Barry O'Rourke said Tim Nicholls' cuts in Rockhampton included selling the Eventide and North Rockhampton nursing homes with the loss of 180 beds, funding cut to the Central Queensland Women's Health and Information Referral Service, Rockhampton Women's Shelter, Capricornia Training Company, Darumbal Community Youth Service, Capricorn Citizen Advocacy and Rockhampton 60 and Better Program.
"Tim Nicholls can't whitewash the damage he did during his time as Treasurer," Mr O'Rourke said.
When asked whether he could provide a guarantee the LNP government wouldn't repeat the massive job losses, LNP Candidate for Rockhampton,emphatically denied it would occur if they won government.
"There's been a very clear announcement by Tim Nicholls as leader that there will not be forced redundancies that there was under the Newman regime," Mr Rodgers said.
When assurances were sought from LNP candidate Peter Blundell regarding the cuts, he said, "the lesson needed to be learnt from what happened last time".
"There will be no forced redundancies under a Tim Nicholls led LNP government," Mr Blundell said.
"I do understand their concerns, I've been doing a lot of door knocking and I've heard those stories myself.
"I understand why people are so adamant about their anger, job losses are a huge thing, there's no doubt about that.
"The message has been a very clear one, and it's one that we've needed to learn but the response has been very definite as well."
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