QUEENSLAND'S Bligh Labor government will slug miners and axe public-sector jobs in a high-risk re-election pitch to accelerate the return of the state's battered budget to surplus in the next term of parliament.
With a state election looming, Treasurer Andrew Fraser yesterday unveiled a mid-year budget update that downgrades predicted growth in Queensland this financial year, but brings the state's coffers back into the black by $60 million in 2014-15 - a year earlier than originally forecasted.
Just a day after Opposition Leader Campbell Newman warned that the government was facing "bankruptcy", Mr Fraser moved to reset the economic debate of the phony campaign by lauding a $1.2 billion cut in this year's predicted deficit and taking on miners and the public-sector unions .
An initial plan to cut 3500 public-sector jobs was boosted by a further 1500 voluntary redundancies, with the Treasurer also declaring he was comfortable with some mining prospectors going out of business by putting exploration leases out to tender.
The measures belie a deteriorating budgetary position, with economic growth coming in 0.75 per cent under forecasts at 4.25 per cent, reflecting the impost of recovery efforts for last year's disasters, softening coal prices and financial instability in Europe.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/miners-jobs-hit-in...
