AFTER years of double speak and dragging its heels on mining approvals, Labor has now publicly embraced coal as Queensland’s 2020 election looms.
Holding a slim two seat majority, ALP Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is targeting regional electorates to assist her retain government – albeit with a bet each way.
Spooked by Federal Labor’s 2019 efforts to simultaneously sweet talk inner city greenies as well as regional miners, she hopes to avoid Labor losing another “unlosable” election.
TRICKY
This time Palaszczuk is focussed on the regions and has abandoned Queensland’s south-east corner to The Greens Party – who have already promised a 500 per cent increase in State mining taxes. Effectively closing the industry.
She’s being tricky, but not as blatantly so as former Labor loser Bill Shorten.
Her strategy leaves the door open for the Premier – should she fall short – to negotiate a minority government deal with the Greens and, in so doing, “legitimately” return to her anti-mining platform post-election.
And while she swears back and blue she will not entertain a minority government (what leader ever has prior to an election?) odds are a deal has already been struck and a large part of her is hoping for a strong Greens’ result.
This is straight out of the Julia Gillard minority government handbook. Hold your nose and promise the voters one thing and then after the election, do a deal with a minor Party who campaigned for the exact opposite.
It’s a short-term win for Labor and The Greens. The Premier keeps her pay packet while escaping her election promises that were only ever made under duress.
Meanwhile the wider electorate cops it in the neck.
Tricky politics, but not smart – though Gillard and Palaszczuk have never been accused of the latter.
INNER-CITY
So what are the Queensland Greens promising inner-city voters? It’s important to know because it could very well become Labor’s post election platform.
Firstly, the Greens propose to increase annual mining royalties from $4.4b to $18.8b while increasing mining tax revenues from $18b to $73b in the four year forward estimates.
Secondly, they plan to increase property taxes by $7.8b and, thirdly, to slug banks an extra $4.6b over the forward estimate period.
Miners are begging voters place Greens last at the October 31 ballot. Perhaps they should also request voters place tricky Labor second to last just to make sure.PC
Labour preferences with the greens keeps them in power labour doesn’t give two hoots about the average working man till an election comes up
The result of such a policy is obvious to all.
And that is that all mining in Queensland would shut down – because the tax rise the Greens propose would make coal so expensive it would be sold at a loss. No business can operate that way. Which means those mines would close. With the loss of tens of thousands of jobs.
I have no doubt the Greens know this. They just don’t want you to know that. They also don’t want you to know they don’t care about jobs in the regions. Or regions full stop.
Maybe remember that when you vote.