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64-09
MEDIA RELEASE - QCU CALLS FOR HALT TO GOVERNMENT SELL OFF SPIN
CIRCULAR: 64-09 Ref: MEDIA RELEASE - QCU CALLS FOR HALT TO GOVERNMENT SELL OFF SPIN
27 October 2009
Dear Traincrew
MEDIA RELEASE - QCU CALLS FOR HALT TO GOVERNMENT SELL OFF SPIN
The State Government’s multi-million dollar error-ridden PR campaign to spin its asset sales to the public must stop, according to today’s meeting of the Queensland Council of Unions Executive.
The QCU’s Executive considered a report on its Queensland Not For Sale campaign that highlighted a range of misleading claims in the Government’s so-called The Facts vs The Myths Campaign.
“If the government wants to inform people about their short-sighted asset sell off, they should at least be open and transparent”, QCU Secretary Ron Monaghan said.
“The person in the street would be misled if they took the government’s spin at face value. Finding the real facts is like a pea and thimble routine – the facts are not even on the table”, he said.
|
Government’s Myth |
The Truth |
|
1. The asset sale will save $1.8 billion per year in interest payments. |
1. The real figure is approx half that amount.
Government advice provided during recent talks convened by Bernie Fraser confirmed that the interest payments on the targeted five corporations is approximately half of the $1.8 billion claimed in The Facts vs The Myths Campaign.
|
|
2. The asset sale proceeds will enable more money to be spent on schools and hospitals |
2. We all know you can’t spend money twice.
The asset sales proceeds are to be spent on debt – therefore they cannot be spent on schools and hospitals |
|
3. The assets do not bring in significant income |
3. Treasury figures disprove this short-sighted view
At last week’s talks with Bernie Fraser, Treasury provided figures that show that the income from Queensland Rail’s Coal Freight business alone will grow by more than 650% - from $87m in 2009 / 2010 to $564m per annum in 2012 / 2013 |
Mr Monaghan said the government’s spin campaign won’t pass the commonsense test by most people.
“Queenslanders manage their own budgets every day and know you can’t spend money twice – either the sale proceeds will reduce debt or pay for schools and hospitals, but not both. Queenslanders will not fall for magic pudding economics.
“The government selectively tells the public that these assets are not really profitable, but won’t disclose the massive growth in revenue expected in the coming years – exactly when the government wants to offload them”.
The QCU Executive committed to continuing its Qld. Not For Sale Campaign across the State.
This is for your information and attention.
Yours fraternally
__________________
GREG SMITH
STATE SECRETARY