STATE IS NOT ON A RACING LEVY WINNER
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk’s Government is under increasing pressure as political and funding bushfires take hold.
Its bold tax grab in the racing industry, which on the one hand will allow for a one-off $20 million grant that could give harness and greyhound racing a solution to re-establishing on the Gold Coast, has sparked a mutiny.
It is almost inconceivable that trainer, jockey, owner and breeder fury would build to the point of a strike.
The problem stems from the new point of consumption tax. Queensland’s
15 per cent levy on bookies is significantly more than that in NSW and Victoria, which are pouring revenue into prizemoney.
But none of the revenue raised by Queensland is earmarked for thoroughbred prizemoney in this state. That has been a serious miscalculation.
Talks between the Government and racing officials were continuing late yesterday.
At stake for the Government are the millions of dollars that will now not flow into state coffers on Cox Plate and Melbourne Cup days if the industry strike goes ahead. There is also the risk of diminishing goodwill among the public.
Ms Palaszczuk should note what happened to former NSW premier Mike Baird when he scrapped the greyhounds in that state. He underestimated the affection for – and the power of – the racing industry.
The Queensland Government has to keep that in mind.
The Government meanwhile is trying to hose down growing Gold Coast anger at being shortchanged with police numbers and the local police budget. The region has a soaring population – and the social and crime problems that go with that growth. To be 88 officers down is unacceptable. It is also unacceptable that a frightened woman has to keep pleading for protection from a violent former partner with outlaw motorcycle gang links.
The woman has called for GPS trackers on thugs when they are given bail, but Gold Coast magistrates have been told there are delays in getting them to this city from Brisbane.
Added to these wildfires is the Government’s refusal to support a Supreme Court on the Gold Coast, despite a mountain of evidence that demonstrates the need.
As the Bulletin reports today, a backlog of school maintenance projects has the Government playing catch-up. Of course, shortfalls in funding for police and schools go back years. The Opposition must put its hand up to accept its failures too. But these problems cannot be allowed to continue.
Children fortunate enough to attend some of the city’s new schools are enjoying beautiful classrooms and internet access, but lack of Wi-Fi and lengthening repair lists are major issues with older schools.
Those kids deserve a fair go, as do patients and families being gouged at the public hospital car parks. The Government tries to wash its hands of the matter, saying parking stations are run by a private operator. But it was a previous Labor government that engineered the parking agreement that has led to this “tax’’ on the sick and vulnerable.