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30 January 2010

Queenslanders have banned a 13 metre billboard created by NSW’s largest business organisation, NSW Business Chamber, from being displayed near Brisbane Airport.

The billboard, featuring a couple on a sunny beach, is inscribed with the words “Welcome to Queensland” followed by “Subsidised by the taxpayers of NSW”, was to be displayed at the main entranceway of Brisbane Airport for the month of February, but was banned at the last minute by the Airport because it was supposedly “offensive” to sensitive Queenslanders.  A similar ban was then also placed on the billboard by the Gold Coast Airport.

NSW Business Chamber had invited Premier Kristina Keneally to unveil the billboard on 1 February.  Arrangements for the campaign had been in place since last October.

The billboard is the next step in NSW Business Chamber’s campaign to get a fairer deal for NSW from the distribution of the GST.  The Commonwealth Grants Commission is due to hand down its recommendation to the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan, in February on a new GST formula which is expected to heavily punish NSW.

As part of the 2010 state revenue sharing review, the Commonwealth Grants Commission has proposed a change to the GST formula which will cost NSW $2 billion over the next three years.

“Queenslanders clearly have a very thin skin when it comes to the truth of how their sunshine state is funded,” said Stephen Cartwright, CEO of NSW Business Chamber.

“We thought the billboard was a fun, irreverent way of highlighting a very important issue, but clearly they have lost their sense of humour north of the border.  

“If anyone should be “offended” it is the people of NSW who have provided almost $15 billion in subsidies to other States over the past decade.

“Since 2001/2 to 2007/8 NSW provided Queensland with a total of $860 million in subsidies and changes to the GST formula proposed by the Commonwealth Grants Commission will see NSW again subsidise Queensland.

“Queensland wants to bury the truth that the new GST formula will see NSW lose $2 billion in GST revenue.  It’s time for Queensland to stand on its own feet and use its booming resource-rich economy to fund its infrastructure needs.

“The Grants Commission has created a reverse ‘Robin Hood’ – robbing NSW to pay the resource-rich state of Queensland.

“The fact is Queensland has lower taxes than NSW and has consistently grown faster than NSW.  However, under the proposal of the Commonwealth grants Commission, NSW will subsidise Queensland indefinitely.

“It’s time for the Federal Treasurer, Wayne Swan to tell the Grants Commission that Queensland no longer needs a handout from NSW but can make it on its own.

“The silence of the Prime Minister and Federal Treasurer on this issue is deafening.  Most of the $2 billion in cuts will occur after the next NSW State Election and we can only guess why the Federal Government is sitting on its hands on this issue.

“We had hoped that the Prime Minister and the Federal Treasurer would see this billboard and the message from NSW taxpayers as they made their regular trips through Brisbane Airport.  It is a message that needs to be heard.

“Robbing NSW of $2 billion will impact on essential services like teachers, nurses, police and fire-fighters and make it harder to fund important infrastructure like new road and rail links.”

Media Note: High resolution images of the billboard image are available for download at www.nswbusiness.com.au/billboard