“This is a reform that the Coalition whole-heartedly supports, and only the Coalition can deliver effectively,” said Peter Dutton.

“Taking care of the most vulnerable in our community should be a priority of any government, and that is why we will get this done,” he added.

Luke Howarth said he was proud to be a part of a team that will deliver for disabled Australians.

“Last night’s Budget Reply made it clear to all Australians that the Coalition cares about disability support, and that the Coalition will make sure the scheme is fully funded,” said Mr Howarth.

“We will not let Labor’s trashing of the nation’s finances stand in the way of the people of Petrie getting the support they need,” he added. Mr Dutton said the Coalition will ensure the NDIS is focused on delivering outcomes, and does not become an ineffective bureaucracy.

“We cannot trust the government to administer such an important scheme properly. They have a track record of delivering bureaucratic quagmires instead of delivering for those in need,” said Mr Dutton.

Mr Dutton and Mr Howarth said they looked forward to the scheme being implemented in their communities.

Ms Landry said the announcement by Tony Abbott in his Budget Reply, that the Coalition will keep income tax cuts and fortnightly pension and benefit increases without a carbon tax is good news for Capricornia families.

“Since the election of the Rudd/Gillard Government, average electricity prices have jumped by an incredible 94 per cent and gas prices by 62 per cent. This has placed families, pensioners and businesses under incredible strain,” Ms Landry said.

“The Coalition will ensure households get the full benefit of the carbon tax abolition by requiring the ACCC to make sure companies do the right thing.

“We can keep tax cuts and pension and benefit increases without a carbon tax, because the Coalition team has made the responsible savings and have a strong plan for managing Australia’s Budget.”

Dr Bill Glasson Liberal National candidate for Griffith said the announcement by Tony Abbott that the Coalition will keep income tax cuts and fortnightly pension and benefit increases without a carbon tax is good news for Griffith families.

“We can keep tax cuts and pension and benefit increases without a carbon tax, because we’ve made the responsible savings and have a strong plan for managing Australia’s Budget.

“We’ve ensured this promise is fully paid for so we don’t add pressures to Labor’s debt and deficits and at the same time, we’ve helped families, pensioners and small businesses by removing the cost of the carbon tax from power bills and rising prices.

“We’ll also ensure households get the full benefit of the abolition of the carbon tax by requiring the ACCC to make sure companies do the right thing.

Dr Glasson said that since the election of the Rudd/Gillard Government average electricity prices had risen by 94% and gas prices by 62%.

“When I talk with people in our local community they tell me they are under pressure.

Dr Glasson said removing the carbon tax will help household budgets, improve the competitive position of Australian businesses and make Australian jobs more secure.

“We cannot undo all of the damage of Labor’s economic vandalism overnight but you know we can and will do it, because we’ve done it before and we’ve done the hard work on our Plan to do it again.

“Everything we do is about building a stronger economy.  A stronger economy is the key to almost everything we wish for as a nation: it means more jobs, higher wages, greater government revenue, better services and, ultimately, stronger and more cohesive communities.

Dr Glasson said the coming election will provide electors in Griffith with a stark choice: between three more years of broken promises, nasty surprises and weak excuses from Labor, or the experienced Coalition team with a Plan to build a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia.

9013 families in Capricornia and 9250 families in Dawson stood to gain upwards of $300 per child under the Gillard Governments planned family tax benefits scheme, which promised to spread the benefits of the mining boom, Ms Landry said.

“But this week Labor has shown they will not hesitate to break promises yet again, announcing they intend to scrap the family tax benefits.

“This family benefit would have provided $300 to eligible families with one child, and $600 to families with two children or more.

“Local families are experiencing the impact of Labor’s Budget chaos.  With days until the Budget, we know that gross debt is approaching $300 billion and that Labor has lost control of the Budget.

“This broken promise is in fact a ‘two-for-one’ broken promise – at the last election, Labor promised company tax cuts for businesses and then took them away last year saying the money would go to provide family payments instead.

“Now those family payments have been taken away before they were meant to start.

Ms Landry said the real message that Central Queensland families would take away from the Government’s decision is that Labor can’t be trusted to keep its promises or honour its word.

“Labor promised no carbon tax, a Budget surplus, 500,000 new jobs and increased family payments – and every one of these promises has been broken,” she said.

“At the same time Labor has run up almost $300 billion in gross debt and Australians are now paying about $7 billion in interest on Labor’s debt.  At the same time, Labor has increased or created 30 taxes, including the carbon tax, mining tax and new super taxes.

Ms Landry said only the Coalition had the plan, experience and discipline to return the Budget to sustainable surpluses, reduce debt and provide real support to local families to help them get ahead again.

Figures taken from Census date correct at December 12, 2012.

Dawson 9250, Capricornia 9013

Ms Harding said that less than a year ago Shayne Neumann issued a press release and distributed taxpayer funded advertising promising to deliver a family tax benefit increase of up to $600 to 14,000 local families.

“In July 2012 Shayne Neumann said that ‘this is exactly the kind of support that families … in Blair need’ – and now we find it’s another broken promise,”  Ms Harding said.

“14,000 eligible local families were set to benefit with $300 for families with one child, and $600 to families with two children or more.

“The real message that Ipswich and Somerset families will take away from this is that Shayne Neumann can’t be trusted to keep his promises or honour his word.

“More than 14,000 local families are now worse off due to Labor’s waste and mismanagement.”

Ms Harding said this latest broken promise comes on the back of a long list of broken promises of  Shayne Neumann and the Gillard Labor Government.

“In the very same taxpayer funded advertising that Shayne Neumann was promoting the family tax benefit that he has now ripped away from 14,000 local families, he proclaimed that Labor was ‘back in surplus, on time, as promised,’” Ms Harding said.

“Shayne Neumann proclaimed to all at taxpayer expense that ‘in these uncertain global times there’s no clearer sign of a strong economy than a surplus’.

“Just like the ‘no carbon tax’ solemn pledge, we all now know that the failure to deliver a promised Budget surplus is another on a long list of Labor broken promises.”

Teresa Harding said only the Liberal Nationals have the plan, experience and discipline to return the Budget to sustainable surpluses, reduce debt, and provide real support local families to help them get ahead again.

“Julia Gillard promised no carbon tax and then Greg Combet promised a carbon tax with compensation – and both promises have been broken”, said Dr Glasson

“Families throughout Griffith will receive no relief with the announcement of yet another unkept promise.

“Greg Combet promised again and again that families would get assistance to help compensate for the massive carbon tax hit on household electricity and gas bills, as well as on the necessities of life.

Dr Glasson said Labor broke its word on the carbon tax, on the family tax benefit, on the surplus and now it is breaking its promise on carbon tax compensation.

“Yesterday Labor broke their promise on the Family Tax Benefit, today it’s the carbon tax compensation, what promise will they break tomorrow?

“Labor has run up five successive deficits and almost $300 billion in gross debt and Australia has nothing to show for it but pain for families.

Dr Glasson said only the Coalition could offer Australian families the certainty of a government that would keep its word, bring the Budget back under control and implement Our Plan to deliver Real Solutions and a strong, prosperous economy.

The preselection is to fill a vacancy that will be created when Senator Barnaby Joyce resigns that post to contest the seat of New England at the Federal election in September. Under the terms of the Commonwealth Constitution, the vacancy will be filled by a person endorsed by the LNP and the person chosen will serve the balance of Senator Joyce’s term, which is due to run out on 30 June 2017.

LNP State Director Brad Henderson said the party was delighted with the number and calibre of candidates seeking to represent Queensland for the LNP in the Senate.

The candidates are:

• Robert Ah Wing, Director, Indigenous education
• Hon Larry Anthony, Company Director and businessman
• Julie Boyd, Consultant and Company Director
• Cr Raymond Brown, Mayor and Gasfields Commissioner
• Mary Carroll, Tourism and Regional Development Executive
• Dr Theresa Craig, Small Business Owner and scientist
• Clement Grehan, Surveyor and mine planner
• Richard Hackett-Jones, Taxation reform advocate
• Barry O’Sullivan, Company Director and businessman
• Roderick Schneider, Financial Adviser
• Georgina Somerset, Beef Producer and businesswoman
• Dr David Van Gend, Medical Doctor and Senior Lecturer

“The selection of a candidate to fill the anticipated vacancy in the Senate is an important decision for the LNP and for Queensland,” Mr Henderson said.

“The successful candidate will be a key member of the next Liberal National Government in Canberra with the responsibility of providing strong representation for the people of regional Queensland.

“Queenslanders can be confident that our candidate will join a terrific team led by Tony Abbott and Warren Truss who will fix the mess created by Labor, the Greens and Independents and deliver our plan for a strong, prosperous economy and a safe, secure Australia.”

The LNP’s State Council will meet in Mackay to select the party’s candidate on Saturday 25 May.

State Council comprises more than 400 party members and includes the State Executive, all LNP MPs, Senators and Councillors, Honorary Life Members, representatives from the Young LNP and LNP Women, and the chairs of the party’s Federal Divisional Councils, State Electorate Councils and Policy Committees.

The LNP has already endorsed a six candidate ticket to contest the half Senate election to be held on 14 September this year. If a candidate on that ticket is chosen to fill the vacancy created by Senator Joyce’s resignation, State Council will proceed at the meeting to choose a replacement to fill any gap in the ticket.

“Julia Gillard promised no carbon tax and then Greg Combet promised a carbon tax with compensation – and both promises have been broken,” Mr Cole said.

Mr Cole challenged the Labor member for Moreton to do his job and stand up for the people of the electorate by speaking out against yet another broken promise by the Gillard Government.

“The current member always has plenty to say about the operations of the State Government or the Brisbane City Council, and yet he is conspicuously quiet when it comes to the failures and broken promises of the Federal Government, of which he is a part.

“Families throughout Moreton are now feeling in their hip pocket the consequences of trusting this government and their local Labor MP.

“Greg Combet promised again and again that families would get assistance to help compensate for the massive carbon tax hit on household electricity and gas bills, as well as on the necessities of life.”

Greg Combet’s promises were clear:
“The household assistance is permanent and fully funded.” – Media Release, 30/11/2012

“No, we will not be cutting any household assistance. We’re committed to it and you might recall that there are further tax cuts that have been legislated from 2015 as well.” – Press Conference, 28/08/2012

Mr Cole said Labor broke its word on the carbon tax, on the family tax benefit, on the surplus and now it is breaking its promise on carbon tax compensation.

“All of these promises have been repeated and confirmed by the Labor Member for Moreton, so these broken promises today are his broken promises too.

Mr Cole said only the Coalition could offer Australian families the certainty of a government that would keep its word, bring the Budget back under control and implement Our Plan to deliver Real Solutions and a strong, prosperous economy.

Mr Palmer is not only resorting to cynical personal attacks, but is also relying on untruths such as me organising and attending a particular lunch that I had nothing to do with.

Let me assure the people of Fairfax that my own campaign will not be distracted by Mr Palmer. His approach is press conferences while mine is doorknocking homes, visiting businesses and meeting with community groups.

Only a vote for the LNP at the next election will ensure we can end the uncertainty that we’ve seen in recent years under Labor and the minor parties – it’s as simple as that.

I challenge Mr Palmer to run a clean campaign and focus on the issues that matter – not engage in more cynical personal attacks.

“The Bruce Highway is a national priority for the Coalition,’’ Ms Landry said.

“We made that crystal clear long before Labor’s pledge.

“The Coalition have already committed to getting the Bruce Highway done in its entirety.

“We are offering a minimum, an absolute minimum, $4billion to solve the Bruce Highway problem because we believe Queenslanders have waited
long enough to see the job done.

“Last month, Nationals leader and Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Warren Truss was in Rockhampton where he spoke specifically about the Yeppen Flood Plain upgrade.
He said on election, the Coalition government would build the road.

“Labor’s announcement of $2.4B of new funding for the Bruce Highway over 10 years sounds good, but we all know Labor can not be trusted to
honor promises 10 days after an election, let alone after 10 years.”

Labor’s smoke and mirrors routine on the Bruce has already been shattered with their admission that $1.76B of the $4.1B pledged today
is just a re-announcement of old money, Ms Landry said.

“And we know the Yeppen Flood Plain upgrade requires a $300millon investment, yet Labor has pledged just $50million,’’ she said.

“Flood proofing one sixth of the road is about as useless as building one sixth of a bridge.

“The Coalition’s funding for the Bruce Highway and Yeppen Flood Plain will be announced well before the election, so people can compare Labor’s hollow and overdue promises with our fully costed commitments and then decide who they trust to finish the job.”