Labor’s culture of secrecy and dishonesty has once again been exposed by the LNP, this time hiding major water infrastructure changes from taxpayers who are forced to pay for the Bligh government’s monumental mistakes, the State Opposition said today.
LNP Shadow Minister for Energy and Water Utilities Steve Dickson said Bligh government Minister Stephen Robertson had been caught out secretly merging LinkWater and SEQwater.
“Mr Robertson was today left red faced after information leaked to the Opposition proved the Chairs of LinkWater and SEQwater were meeting to discuss merging in an attempt to fix the almighty mess Labor has made to Queensland’s water infrastructure system,” said Mr Dickson.
“It has been revealed that the Bligh government has been moving to quietly and cynically adopt the LNP’s water policy to merge the major entities in an effort to repair its bungled water reforms.
Since Anna Bligh made her deceitful pledge in 2007, saying water would ‘not (be) priced beyond the reach of ordinary Queenslanders’*, Queensland household water prices have gone through the roof – proving again Labor’s blatant dishonesty,” he said.
Mr Dickson said under the LNP's four-point plan to limit water price rises, the CanDo team would amalgamate the four remaining bulk water entities and give consumers some cost of living relief.
The LNP’s Four Point Plan for Water Prices involves:
• One bulk water entity to provide greater efficiencies;
• Hand back control of water retailing to councils;
• Write off some of the non-performing water grid assets;
• Immediately adopt a 40-year price path to repay the State Government’s $7 billion water grid debt.
“The LNP plan will offer relief to Queenslanders struggling with the rising cost of living under Labor,” Mr Dickson said.
“A CanDo government will put an end to the wasteful mismanagement of our water entities under Labor which has put a huge debt burden on taxpayers.
We will invest in better infrastructure and plan for Queensland’s future,” Mr Dickson said.