Broke Bligh-Labor Government makes Coast pay

Wednesday, 02 Nov 2011

WHEN you call 000, you expect emergency services to turn up.

The police, ambulance and fire fighters are there to help us in our hour of need.

We all pay taxes to fund these vital life saving, crime fighting and rescue services.

So it beggars belief the Gold Coast City Council is begging small businesses to help pay for the trial of a police helicopter.

Small businesses are struggling to survive on the Coast. Under the Gillard Labor Government, close to 700 have closed in my electorate with around 2800 jobs lost since Labor was elected in 2007.

Now, because the State Labor Government is broke, Gold Coast small businesses are being asked to help pay for a police chopper. What has gone wrong here?

It’s Anna Bligh's job as Premier of Queensland to provide our community with police and adequate resources. It a basic necessity to keep us and our community safe and she’s failing to deliver.

Tragically, it took the death of Detective Senior Constable Damian Leeding for the Bligh Labor Government to establish a dedicated Coast crime squad - an initiative the LNP had and the City’s top cop had been calling for.

With our police over-worked and under-resourced, the Gold Coast City Council decided to use $500,000 of ratepayer money to fund a six-month trial of a police helicopter to help fight our ballooning law and order problem.

However Mayor Ron Clarke realised more money is needed to keep the chopper in the air so the Council is now asking 100 local businesses to contribute $1000 each.

It’s a disgrace the State Labor Government has so lost touch that they can't find enough money in the budget to fund a police chopper on the Coast.

Labor's mismanagement and waste means the Government has blown your tax dollars. And now you’re being asked to pay, once again, for the services they’re supposed to provide.

This should simply not be tolerated and I will keep fighting for this much needed service.