Police to get extra $150m as LNP vows no budget austerity
Premier David Crisafulli has announced almost $150 million in extra police funding will feature in his government's 2025-26 fiscal blueprint, as the Labor opposition embarks on a statewide pre-budget media blitz.
Treasurer David Janetzki will hand down the first LNP budget since 2014 on Tuesday, which will be delivered with the backdrop of a cut in GST revenue.
But both the treasurer and premier were at pains on Monday to assure Queenslanders austerity was not on the agenda.
'Today's announcement, $147.9 million into the services of the front line, is a perfect example of the kinds of investment that we'll be discussing tomorrow,' Janetzki said.
'This investment into the front line, supporting the work of our brave men and women on the front line, is exactly the kind of investment that needs to be made and is the targeted and focused point of delivery for our government, and I look forward to sharing more tomorrow.'
Speaking at Wacol on Monday morning, Crisafulli said the extra money would go towards police equipment, such as tasers, body armour, tire deflation devices, body-worn camera and tactical first aid kits.
'This money wasn't budgeted,' he said.
'It will be now and it will be into the forwards. It will be there to make sure that when police go out to do their job, they know that they have the equipment to do their job.'
Labor frontbenchers, meanwhile, fronted media in Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Toowoomba and the Gold and Sunshine coasts in an 11th-hour push for local projects and services.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Age
an hour ago
- The Age
eSafety boss reveals scale of ‘harmful' videos on YouTube, urges ban for children
Australian children will be banned from YouTube if the Albanese government accepts the advice of its online safety chief, whose research shows four in 10 young teenagers have been exposed to harmful content, such as eating disorder videos, on the platform. YouTube received an exemption from Labor's world-leading social media ban for under-16s after former communications minister Michelle Rowland, now the attorney-general, deemed it had a significant educational purpose. But eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, in formal advice delivered to new Communications Minister Anika Wells last week, said the carve-out should be removed because children were experiencing harm on the platform. The advice sets Wells up for a fight with Google, the tech giant that owns YouTube, just weeks into her new role or risk a continued fight from other social media giants including TikTok, Meta and Snap, who argue the exemption makes a mockery of the government's plans. It threatens to be controversial among Australian parents because of its popularity among children who use its Kids' platform to watch clips from groups such as the Wiggles. The minister plans to decide on Inman Grant's advice in coming weeks so that the social media ban can be launched by December. Inman Grant noted children would still be able to access YouTube without having an account. The eSafety Commissioner will tell the National Press Club on Tuesday that risks to children of early exposure to social media were becoming clearer in her agency's research, including on YouTube. 'Four in 10 children reported being exposed to harmful content on YouTube.' An Australian survey of 2600 children aged 10 to 15 found that 96 per cent of them used at least one social media platform, and about 70 per cent had encountered harmful content, including exposure to misogynistic or hateful material, violent fight videos and content that promoted eating disorders. Four in 10 children reported being exposed to harmful content on YouTube.
Sydney Morning Herald
an hour ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
eSafety boss reveals scale of ‘harmful' videos on YouTube, urges ban for children
Australian children will be banned from YouTube if the Albanese government accepts the advice of its online safety chief, whose research shows four in 10 young teenagers have been exposed to harmful content, such as eating disorder videos, on the platform. YouTube received an exemption from Labor's world-leading social media ban for under-16s after former communications minister Michelle Rowland, now the attorney-general, deemed it had a significant educational purpose. But eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant, in formal advice delivered to new Communications Minister Anika Wells last week, said the carve-out should be removed because children were experiencing harm on the platform. The advice sets Wells up for a fight with Google, the tech giant that owns YouTube, just weeks into her new role or risk a continued fight from other social media giants including TikTok, Meta and Snap, who argue the exemption makes a mockery of the government's plans. It threatens to be controversial among Australian parents because of its popularity among children who use its Kids' platform to watch clips from groups such as the Wiggles. The minister plans to decide on Inman Grant's advice in coming weeks so that the social media ban can be launched by December. Inman Grant noted children would still be able to access YouTube without having an account. The eSafety Commissioner will tell the National Press Club on Tuesday that risks to children of early exposure to social media were becoming clearer in her agency's research, including on YouTube. 'Four in 10 children reported being exposed to harmful content on YouTube.' An Australian survey of 2600 children aged 10 to 15 found that 96 per cent of them used at least one social media platform, and about 70 per cent had encountered harmful content, including exposure to misogynistic or hateful material, violent fight videos and content that promoted eating disorders. Four in 10 children reported being exposed to harmful content on YouTube.
The Advertiser
3 hours ago
- The Advertiser
Voters want AFL stadium deal redo but leaders unmoved
An AFL stadium deal worth close to $1 billion is on the nose with most voters in one state but neither the premier or his would-be replacement are sniffing the electoral breeze. With a snap election weeks away, Tasmanian voters were surveyed on their attitude to a contentious deal struck with the AFL to build a $945 million roofed stadium at Macquarie Point. The Hobart stadium is a condition of the licence for the Devils' inclusion in the competition in 2028. The online poll of 842 voters, conducted by YouGov on behalf of progressive think tank The Australia Institute from June 12 to 16, indicates most Tasmanians believe the stadium deal is unfair. More than two out of three (69 per cent) support Tasmanian parliament renegotiating with the AFL to avoid constructing a new stadium. Support to renegotiate was even stronger among Labor supporters (71 per cent). Liberal voters were the most likely to disagree (38 per cent) but a majority (56 per cent) still backed the proposition. More than two-thirds of those surveyed also believed the AFL was treating Tasmania unfairly in its requirements for granting the state a licence. The AFL has been staunch in its refusal to renegotiate the deal, declaring the stadium a non-negotiable condition. The Australia Institute's Leanne Minshull said the deal was a "dud" and one of the most one-sided in Australian sport. "This state deserves to have a team in the AFL, but Tassie taxpayers don't want to be on the hook for a billion-dollar indoor stadium they don't want," she said. Some analysts have described the July 19 state election as a referendum on the stadium, but Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Dean Winter have been unwilling to budge on their support. Mr Rockliff was sticking to his guns on Monday, dismissing the poll as "bodgey" and "anti-jobs". "This week we would've been putting forward legislation to in fact get on with the job and build the stadium ... (but) unfortunately Dean Winter and Labor forced the election," he told reporters. Mr Winter also reaffirmed his support for the stadium while criticising the way the AFL deal came together without cabinet approval or treasury advice. "This has been a problem that Jeremy Rockliff has created and it's a problem that now needs to be dealt with seriously and methodically," he said. Mr Rockliff separately revealed one of two Spirit of Tasmania replacement ships was expected to arrive in August. The vessel has been docked in Scotland for six months after his government unsuccessfully tried to lease it. The other has been undergoing sea trials in Finland, with Tasmania to officially take ownership during the week. The ferries won't be in service until late 2026, years behind schedule, because a berth has not been built in Devonport. The Spirit of Tasmania debacle was one of the reasons cited by Labor in its successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff. An AFL stadium deal worth close to $1 billion is on the nose with most voters in one state but neither the premier or his would-be replacement are sniffing the electoral breeze. With a snap election weeks away, Tasmanian voters were surveyed on their attitude to a contentious deal struck with the AFL to build a $945 million roofed stadium at Macquarie Point. The Hobart stadium is a condition of the licence for the Devils' inclusion in the competition in 2028. The online poll of 842 voters, conducted by YouGov on behalf of progressive think tank The Australia Institute from June 12 to 16, indicates most Tasmanians believe the stadium deal is unfair. More than two out of three (69 per cent) support Tasmanian parliament renegotiating with the AFL to avoid constructing a new stadium. Support to renegotiate was even stronger among Labor supporters (71 per cent). Liberal voters were the most likely to disagree (38 per cent) but a majority (56 per cent) still backed the proposition. More than two-thirds of those surveyed also believed the AFL was treating Tasmania unfairly in its requirements for granting the state a licence. The AFL has been staunch in its refusal to renegotiate the deal, declaring the stadium a non-negotiable condition. The Australia Institute's Leanne Minshull said the deal was a "dud" and one of the most one-sided in Australian sport. "This state deserves to have a team in the AFL, but Tassie taxpayers don't want to be on the hook for a billion-dollar indoor stadium they don't want," she said. Some analysts have described the July 19 state election as a referendum on the stadium, but Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Dean Winter have been unwilling to budge on their support. Mr Rockliff was sticking to his guns on Monday, dismissing the poll as "bodgey" and "anti-jobs". "This week we would've been putting forward legislation to in fact get on with the job and build the stadium ... (but) unfortunately Dean Winter and Labor forced the election," he told reporters. Mr Winter also reaffirmed his support for the stadium while criticising the way the AFL deal came together without cabinet approval or treasury advice. "This has been a problem that Jeremy Rockliff has created and it's a problem that now needs to be dealt with seriously and methodically," he said. Mr Rockliff separately revealed one of two Spirit of Tasmania replacement ships was expected to arrive in August. The vessel has been docked in Scotland for six months after his government unsuccessfully tried to lease it. The other has been undergoing sea trials in Finland, with Tasmania to officially take ownership during the week. The ferries won't be in service until late 2026, years behind schedule, because a berth has not been built in Devonport. The Spirit of Tasmania debacle was one of the reasons cited by Labor in its successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff. An AFL stadium deal worth close to $1 billion is on the nose with most voters in one state but neither the premier or his would-be replacement are sniffing the electoral breeze. With a snap election weeks away, Tasmanian voters were surveyed on their attitude to a contentious deal struck with the AFL to build a $945 million roofed stadium at Macquarie Point. The Hobart stadium is a condition of the licence for the Devils' inclusion in the competition in 2028. The online poll of 842 voters, conducted by YouGov on behalf of progressive think tank The Australia Institute from June 12 to 16, indicates most Tasmanians believe the stadium deal is unfair. More than two out of three (69 per cent) support Tasmanian parliament renegotiating with the AFL to avoid constructing a new stadium. Support to renegotiate was even stronger among Labor supporters (71 per cent). Liberal voters were the most likely to disagree (38 per cent) but a majority (56 per cent) still backed the proposition. More than two-thirds of those surveyed also believed the AFL was treating Tasmania unfairly in its requirements for granting the state a licence. The AFL has been staunch in its refusal to renegotiate the deal, declaring the stadium a non-negotiable condition. The Australia Institute's Leanne Minshull said the deal was a "dud" and one of the most one-sided in Australian sport. "This state deserves to have a team in the AFL, but Tassie taxpayers don't want to be on the hook for a billion-dollar indoor stadium they don't want," she said. Some analysts have described the July 19 state election as a referendum on the stadium, but Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff and Labor leader Dean Winter have been unwilling to budge on their support. Mr Rockliff was sticking to his guns on Monday, dismissing the poll as "bodgey" and "anti-jobs". "This week we would've been putting forward legislation to in fact get on with the job and build the stadium ... (but) unfortunately Dean Winter and Labor forced the election," he told reporters. Mr Winter also reaffirmed his support for the stadium while criticising the way the AFL deal came together without cabinet approval or treasury advice. "This has been a problem that Jeremy Rockliff has created and it's a problem that now needs to be dealt with seriously and methodically," he said. Mr Rockliff separately revealed one of two Spirit of Tasmania replacement ships was expected to arrive in August. The vessel has been docked in Scotland for six months after his government unsuccessfully tried to lease it. The other has been undergoing sea trials in Finland, with Tasmania to officially take ownership during the week. The ferries won't be in service until late 2026, years behind schedule, because a berth has not been built in Devonport. The Spirit of Tasmania debacle was one of the reasons cited by Labor in its successful no-confidence vote against Mr Rockliff.
