Thursday, January 15, 2015

Labor to spend $100 million on reef?

Big Question of The Day - How does a government spent $100 million dollars protecting a reef?

OPPOSITION Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement on Green Island, off the Cairns coast, on Wednesday after taking a reef tour in a glass bottom boat alongside her environment spokeswoman Jackie Trad.

Ms Palaszczuk said a "high-level taskforce" would provide recommendations to government to determine how best to spend the $100 million over five years. The taskforce will have several targets, including reducing nitrogen run off by up to 80 per cent in key catchment areas by 2025. But Ms Trad would not be drawn on what concrete initiatives the $100 million would be spent on and whether the taskforce's targets would be legislated.

"We will make that decision after we listen to the evidence, after we listen to the experts," Ms Trad said. "Unlike (Premier) Campbell Newman who has picked a fight with everybody in our community ... (and) who doesn't believe in the science of climate change."

Ms Palaszczuk says it's too early to detail exactly what the money will be spent on because it was just the start of Labor's reef plan. She says Labor will "absolutely" prioritize addressing debt and reveal its long-awaited fiscal strategy on Friday, 15 days before the state poll.

Full story here. 

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