State Election 

After the weeks of speculation, the recent calling of a March 21 State Election surprised few people. In announcing the election, Premier Bligh said that it will give Queenslanders the right to determine who will lead them through the global financial crisis.

Whilst most economists failed to predict the severity, extent and timing of the current global economic meltdown, there now appears an almost unanimous view that things are going to get worse before they get better and that any significant improvement in the global economy could be at least a year, or possibly even years away.

The election announcement follows news of the growing State Government deficit and the obvious risk that the situation will worsen if there is a long and protracted recovery.

It makes sense therefore for the election to be held early, so that whoever is in power beyond 21 March has a clear and focused responsibility in responding to the economic challenges we all face.

Voters can expect is an ongoing call for significant government expenditure in response to the retracting economy. What we can expect is an election campaign that focuses on saving jobs with the opportunity for major investment in infrastructure, while health, education and law and order will be ongoing election favourites.

 From the horticulture industry’s perspective, significant infrastructure spending on roads and water would be appropriate while further commitments to assist positively in respect of biosecurity, land use planning and environmental issues will play a part in supporting the ongoing growth and development of the industry.