Budget attacks Queensland, says govt

The Queensland government says while there are benefits for the state in the federal budget, changes to health and education are damaging.

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman

Queensland's premier says he'll attack the federal budget if it's a raw deal for his state. (AAP)

Queensland will benefit from billions of dollars worth of infrastructure funding in the federal budget, but the state government says changes to health and education are an attack on the state's finances.

More than $9 billion will be spent on projects including the Bruce Highway, the Melbourne to Brisbane inland railway, venues for the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in 2018 and the Toowoomba Second Range Crossing.

"These projects are essential projects for Queensland and will help us to grow our four pillar economy," said Treasurer Tim Nicholls.

Mr Nicholls said the $7 GP co-payment and reducing funding to the Better Schools Plan were deeply disappointing changes.

"The revisions are nothing more than an unjustified attack on the state's delivery of health and education services," he said.

"We will use the time between now and the implementation of these measures to take the fight to Canberra.

"These changes will significantly increase the pressure on the state's budget, as we believe the shifting of expenditure to the state's budget is unsustainable.

"Of particular concern is the freezing of indexation payments to local governments. The state is not in a position to assist, given our own budget repair task, so this reduction in funding is going to increase the strain on local governments."

Shadow treasurer Curtis Pitt says the budget shows Prime Minister Tony Abbott is like Queensland Premier Campbell Newman when it comes to telling the truth and keeping promises.

"Tony Abbott and Campbell Newman are two peas in a pod. They say anything to get elected, and then they break promise after promise to the people who put their trust in them," Mr Pitt said in a statement.


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Source: AAP


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