Meeting the growth and sometimes conflicting demands of our agriculture, resources, construction and tourism industries and environment requires sound, practical and independent science to contribute to decision making. Specific investment and partnerships with universities are also required for the future to support emerging technologies.
Labor's haphazard decision making has continually put politics ahead of science, whether it's been coal seam gas, climate change, wild rivers, vegetation management, koala mapping, strategic cropping land, industry's needs or the community's needs.
In environmental matters Labor has been more interested in Green preferences than in 'green outcomes'.
In stark contrast to Labor, the LNP will draw on science to guide our policies and decision making and consequent planning and collaborations so we can capture the opportunities that exist across all sectors. This will extend to all areas of government responsibility including climate change, the protection of waterways, fisheries and other natural resources; and, to safeguarding the health and well-being of Queenslanders and to improving the ongoing competitiveness of our industries.
Through good practical science we can achieve outcomes like a vibrant farming sector, a productive resources sector and the protection of natural resources such as our beloved Great Barrier Reef – and be ready to meet the challenges of the future. We will be a government that gets things done and takes actions for lasting effect!
LNP Policy Commitment
The LNP is committed to:
- Getting Queensland back on track, including by using science, technology and innovation to realize the full potential of our State's extraordinary natural resources, and by unashamedly promoting economic growth and opportunity;
- Unlocking our State's potential and enabling Queenslanders to share in the full benefits of successful and wise resource use by making science, innovation and industrial research an important focus of government and using science, not politics, to make important decisions about environmental, economic, industry and social issues;
- Ensuring that the Queensland Government has access to the best possible scientific advice and that it is directed toward meeting the future policy challenges of our industries;
- Supporting emerging technologies through investment and partnerships with universities; and
- Enabling investment in science to help keep Queensland businesses competitive and ensure that our schools, universities and TAFE colleges and institutes are delivering the skills necessary to give Queenslanders a real edge in the global jobs market.
To date, the LNP has committed to:
- Rebuild our State's practical and applied scientific and technology capability, including by partnerships with Queensland's universities to provide practical research that boosts the four pillars of our economy – agriculture, mining, construction and tourism.
- The Chief Scientist will be properly in charge of science policy, not the Q2 sham that currently exists, and enable the State's applied science efforts to be directed towards meeting our economic challenges.
- Extend linkages between senior high schools and universities including partnerships that could lead to co-location of some senior high school facilities on university campuses so our brightest students access the best possible education.
- Ensure that there is appropriate emphasis on science in schools, and including to assist this, facilitate partnerships between education, universities and industry.
- Establish a modern Department of Primary Industries that can meet the future challenges for Agriculture and can support a strong voice at the Cabinet table.
- Require government environmental services to focus on actual green outcomes with decisions based on independent science, rather than Labor's pursuit of the Greens Party preference agenda.