The Queensland government has announced a proposal to offload up to $32 billion worth of assets in order to tackle state debt – what are your thoughts?
The results are in from our poll, with over 500 respondents making their voice heard about Newman’s proposed asset sales.
74 per cent of you say no, we shouldn’t be selling off our assets. 16 per cent thought we should sell off assets to clear debt; and 10 per cent say they don’t know whether it’s a good idea or not.
Here’s some more feedback from our readers:
Please leave my and my fellow Queenslanders’ assets alone. –Elwyn
Once assets are gone the only source of income is taxes. –Julie
Premier, I am extremely strongly opposed to the sale of assets believed “owned” by the State. It’s high time politicians came to the realisation that these assets DO NOT belong to the Government, they belong to the people of the State…the standing Government are merely caretakers of this PUBLIC property. There is no question that Queensland needs to save money and running expenses and to this end the “outgoings” need to be looked at…as with any budget. Since the job cutting splurge last year there have been many high level managerial positions created, positions with obscenely high salaries…REDUCE the number of “jobs for the boys” managerial positions and save the salaries and REDUCE politicians wages to a level that is inline with what the everyday person earns…Remember your days in the Army Premier and how often soldiers were told “Be thankful you are not paid what you are really worth”… -Vince
It would seem madness to sell off assets that are earning an income, and surely they are the only kind that you could sell. Selling the goose that lays the [golden] eggs comes to mind. –Graeme
The present government can only look at the short term cash gain. Just typical of short term vision. –Jim
These assets are the property of Queenslanders and the future generations of Queenslanders. Do not sell off the farm, Campbell. –Charlie
If asset sales are a must, then don’t sell, lease with options, options to take back the leasing if the use of or charges from are an abuse, or at worse, compulsory acquisition of said assets if abuse or over charging is found with very limited recompense! -Donald
We voted for you , but now we have lost confidence. These assets and the benefits they bring to the State’s coffers should be protected and preserved, not eroded by dilution. –Sue and Michael
Let’s save Australia a lot of money – get rid of the State Governments. -Maria
This is ridiculous, what is this government thinking? –James
Once it’s gone, it’s gone. -Jo
Sell them today, what does the State do for revenue tomorrow? –William
What makes a union organiser better informed as to the state of Queensland’s finances than the State treasurer? We elected our leaders because their predecessors couldn’t run a chook raffle, and now we see the lynch party out to get rid of these people too. At least this lot is trying to curb spending and do what governments are supposed to do – govern. –Cliff
I have seen these attempts to sell off our public assets before to clear debt – only more financial problems resulted from that. –Julie
i live in tassy and he gives me the impresion he likes the limelight
NO! The short-term gain is not sufficient to justify the long-term loss of revenue and the inevitable deterioration in service and increase in price experienced by users of the assets once they become privately owned.
No assets would need selling if we got rid of the overpaid Government
Why is it all about the tax payers having to give up assets & lose services or pay more tax… and not one of the options up for consideration is a pay & perks cut for the politicians that did such a terrible job looking after spending our taxes to begin with. I am sure they will just give themselves another pay rise in no time, and we don’t get to have our say on that!
Sell it all off Campbell, then we won’t need overpaid state government politicians to run anything, as there will be NOTHING left to run…. we should get rid of the state government tier of government and save big time.
Modern day technology does not require 3 tiers of government to manage our Country, therefore we should dispense with one tier of government, mainly the State bodies thus allowing Federal and Councils to get on with the game of managing. Consider the Dollar Saving.
Keep you`re hands off our property….. You the politicians stuffed this state and country up not us the tax payer and we should not pay for you`re mistakes
Perhaps if Beatty & Bligh had been better at managing the states coffers for the previous 10 years our deficit might not have required such drastic action.
Surely it’s the same as your household budget, if you spend more than you earn then you will be in trouble.
If previous state governments had been better at managing the coffers then such drastic measures would not be required.
Why Mr Newman do you Politician’s believe you have the rights to sell off Tax payer’s Assets which don’t own as you are only the caretaker of then.
If you all took a Wage Cut, refused all your Fringe Benefits, and stopped Jobs for Boys , you would be in a better position. As I’ve noticed neither side of Parliament Refused the Pay Rise,and. All of you are more than willing to put your hands out.
I think it would be a better idea to invest in more assets and generate more income. No point in quitting work to pay the bills.
It is heartening to see that so many wish to see the end of State Governments. They are most certainly not needed so lets get rid of them all. And while we are at it, lets give Central
Government a list of what they can, and indeed are required to fund on our behalf. Then make it law that they cannot spend “our” money on anything else without referendum.
Leasing the assets would be fine. I thought that there were going to be other choices for the Government??!! I think higher taxes is a start. We are some of the highest paid workers in the world!! I haven’t heard many complaints about the size of the debt,or how it got that way, only the way we were going to repay it. Campbell Newman (who was a fantastic Mayor), seems to have been put into the leaders seat mainly to take all the nastiness! Yet the previous leader of the opposition (Anna Bleigh) has left the state in such deep debt, for a lucrative position for her husband and herself in NSW. So much for her love of THIS state!!! Where is Andrew Fraser now??? I bet he has a ‘cushy’ job also. They knew what they had done to this state and didn’t even say a word – just cut and RAN!!!!
Why if we are so in debt does he keep getting uneeded pay rises?