Subjects: Queensland; Queensland Coalition; Queensland Opposition.
E&OE..................
Deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, Rob Borbidge, David Watson, my fellow Australians, and fellow Coalition supporters. There's nothing quite like the atmosphere of a Queensland election rally. In fact there's nothing quite like the atmosphere of most things Queensland.
And I was reflecting as I came up from Canberra earlier this morning with John Anderson and Ron Boswell, I was reflecting on the fact that I've now been in federal politics for almost 27 years. You'll be seeing a lot more of me. And for most of the 27 years that I've been in federal politics, for most of those 27 years Queensland was governed by Coalition Governments or National Party Governments. And interestingly enough the years of Coalition Government coincided with the years of greatest prosperity for Queensland. And it's no accident, as we got the unemployment figures this morning, to find that the unemployment rate of Queensland still remains at over 8%, well above the national average. Indeed we have found over the last three years that the Queensland Government, the Labor Government of Queensland has been monumentally uncooperative with the Federal Government in implementing the changes and the reforms that have given to Australia a level of national prosperity and strength that we have not had for years. I mean my great recollection of the Premier of Queensland, Peter Beattie, in recent years, was his attitude towards taxation reform. He railed against it in public, he said it was going to do Queensland in the eye, but he practically grabbed the pen out of my hand to sign the interstate agreement. And there's a very good reason for that, that particular change, that great reform, is in terms of what it does for the states of Australia of greater benefit to Queensland, and more immediately of greater benefit to Queensland than any other state in Australia. Yet the current Premier of Queensland publicly, along with his federal colleague, Mr Beazley, did everything he could to prevent that reform being passed into law.
Ladies and gentlemen, if you look back over the years in Queensland, the quality of economic management of this state has always been superior when it's been in the hands of Coalition Governments. It's always been the Coalition in Government that has put Queensland ahead of other states around Australia.
And ladies and gentlemen, my friends, in inviting you in a few moments to welcome the Liberal Leader, David Watson, I'm inviting you to reflect upon the fact that he would bring, to the position of Treasurer of this state, he'd would bring the skills that his commercial, business and accounting background have equip him to bring. And that is an understanding of business and economic issues, a recognition that economic management and economic strength is extraordinarily important in the global economic environment in which we live. But you would also be part of a different Government in Queensland, a Government that wouldn't self-destruct and implode in a way that the Beattie Government has done, quite remarkably, and without parrell, because of the behaviour of so many members of that Government over the past few months. It used to be legendary around Australia that Queensland was strong and well run economically, and that was at a time when this State was governed by the Coalition. And it gave it a strength and it gave it a competitive edge that has been frittered away in the Beattie years. It gave it an economic place in Australia, that I know that so many Queenslanders in their hearts would like to bring back.
Queenslanders have great pride in their State, and they have every reason to feel proud of the great contribution that the State and the people of Queensland make to the Australian nation. The people of Queensland deserve and need a Coalition Government. This State would be better governed economically and in so many other respects in a Government lead by Rob Borbidge and David Watson.
David will bring to the position of State Treasurer the skill, the experience, the strength, the understanding, of economic and business issues that is so necessary for that critically important position. He will also bring personal decency and integrity to the position, which is so tremendously important.
And so my friends, my fellow Coalition supporters, my fellow Australians, will you please welcome to the stage David Watson, the Liberal Leader in Queensland.
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