Dalgleish calls for poll on GST
Hervey Bay MLA David Dalgleish has called on Premier Peter Beattie to demonstrate he is fair dinkum in his opposition to GST.
"Mr Beattie campaigned hard against GST in the recent by-elections", said Mr Dalgleish. "He now has a very simple and inexpensive opportunity to prove that his campaign was not a cheap stunt to cling to power".
"All he has to do is to have included on the ballot paper for the forthcoming local government elections, a simple question - Do you support GST? with a yes or no box to be ticked", said Mr Dalgleish.
"That would achieve two things", said Mr Dalgleish. " It would show that the Premier is not a hypocrite on this issue, and it would show the Federal Government whether or not it really had a mandate to introduce this tax against the battlers".
"City Country Alliance strongly supports Community Based Referenda. This process allows the people to have some say in how our nation is governed. Mr Beattie, and the Coalition politicians, have demonstrated they are not prepared to "listen to the people", by their opposition to the Community Based Referendum Bill we introduced into Parliament last year. They have clearly shown that they do not care what the average Queenslander wants. This is a very simple opportunity to reverse that callous disregard for the wishes of the community", said Mr Dalgleish.
Mr Dalgleish challenged Mr Beattie to "do the right thing", and said "instead of whingeing and politicking, he should make a real effort to stop this vicious and discriminatory tax".
"There would be virtually no cost, very little inconvenience to the voting public, and at least they would be able to have their say", said Mr Dalgleish.
Mr Beattie has taken the cowards way out by claiming that a tick box to gauge public feeling about GST should not be included on local government ballot papers because it is a federal issue", said Hervey Bay MLA David Dalgleish.
"It was enough of a State issue for him to hammer it in his desperate campaign to cling to government in the Woodridge and Bundamba by-elections", said Mr Dalgleish. "It is apparent that Mr Beattie is quite prepared to adjust the facts to suit his personal agenda at the time".
"Mr Beattie continually postures about being a caring Premier who listens to the people. GST is undeniably a federal issue, but the people who will be hurt by it are Queenslanders. I would have thought that the Premier needs to know what the people of this State think about such a vital issue", said Mr Dalgleish. "He needs to listen to the people and he needs to be genuinely caring - not just the odd throw-away line about listening and caring".
"It seems to me that the Premier of Queensland does not care about Queenslanders", he said.
Mr Beattie has taken the cowards way out by claiming that a tick box to gauge public feeling about GST should not be included on local government ballot papers because it is a federal issue", said Hervey Bay MLA David Dalgleish.
"It was enough of a State issue for him to hammer it in his desperate campaign to cling to government in the Woodridge and Bundamba by-elections", said Mr Dalgleish. "It is apparent that Mr Beattie is quite prepared to adjust the facts to suit his personal agenda at the time".
"Mr Beattie continually postures about being a caring Premier who listens to the people. GST is undeniably a federal issue, but the people who will be hurt by it are Queenslanders. I would have thought that the Premier needs to know what the people of this State think about such a vital issue", said Mr Dalgleish. "He needs to listen to the people and he needs to be genuinely caring - not just the odd throw-away line about listening and caring".
"It seems to me that the Premier of Queensland does not care about Queenslanders", he said.