Things are getting tougher because for years, Labor and the LNP have let big corporations rip us off and pocket massive profits.
From 2023-24, Queensland had the biggest increase to energy, insurance and health costs in the country. Rents have gone up by $330 a fortnight, or 43%, since 2021. Supermarket price gouging, interest rates and school fees add extra pressure, while wages continue to lag behind.
Meanwhile, in the last 10 years, Labor and the LNP have taken $23.7 million in corporate donations, while those same big corporations pay barely any tax. Mining corporations have exported $634 billion worth of resources while only paying 9% of that in royalties.
If we want to lower the cost of living, we need to take on the big corporations who are ripping off Queenslanders.
Here’s the Greens plan to tackle the cost of living in Queensland.
Genuinely Affordable Housing
Freeze rent increases for 2 years to give renters some breathing room, and cap them at 1% thereafter. Give renters a right to renew their lease. Create a publicly owned developer and expand Queensland’s publicly owned construction company, QBuild, to build 100,000 good quality public homes, to buy or rent at below market rates. Tax vacant homes to free up supply.
Cheaper groceries
Break up the duopoly of Coles and Woolies by limiting their market share to 20%, and cap prices on a list of 30 essentials. Stop the big supermarkets from buying up land to shutting out competitors.
Free School Breakfasts and Lunches
Establish a free, healthy school meals program for all children at every Queensland state school, funded by increased mining royalties.
Scrap State School Fees
Increase state school funding to at least 100% of the needs-based minimum standards, removing the need for schools to outsource funding shortfalls to parents with out-of-pocket fees. Fully funding state schools means we can get rid of all out of extra expenses like excursions, tablets and laptops.
Free and frequent public transport
Ditch the Government’s privatised ticketing system and exclusive deal with AirTrain to save costs on ticketing and enforcement, and make public transport free to use. Tax big developers and other corporations fairly, and use the money to upgrade and expand the network with more frequent buses, train connections and bus lanes to cut traffic, giving you the freedom to leave your car at home and save on petrol.
Genuinely free healthcare
Create 200 new public GP clinics over four years, where every Queenslander can see a GP at no out-of-pocket cost. Give every Queenslander access to 20 free sessions with a state-employed psychologist every year. Increase funding for public hospital beds, nurses and doctors to cut waitlist times.
100% publicly owned electricity
Reverse Labor’s privatisation of electricity retail and bring energy into 100% public ownership, with a state-owned retailer to supply households and businesses at cost. Invest in 100% renewable energy by 2030 to bring down emissions and reduce our reliance on expensive, unreliable coal.
Free kids sport
Give every Queenslander under 18 a free season of community sport and $150 sports equipment rebates each year, funded by taxing mining corporations fairly. Support clubs to increase capacity with annual grants of $25,000 and allocate $200 million towards acquiring new sporting fields and green space in growing suburbs.
We can fund this all because of our plans to tax mining corporations more fairly, levy the big banks’ profits, and make developers pay their fair share of tax. Read more about the Greens’ plans for more for everyday Queenslanders and less for big corporations here.