Warren Truss (Wide Bay, National Party, Shadow Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and Local Government) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Prime Minister. I refer the Prime Minister to his stated strong opposition before the election to Labor’s forced council amalgamations in Queensland and to the overwhelming ‘No’ votes in the federally funded amalgamation plebiscites—up to 99 per cent. What action has the Prime Minister taken since the election to have the Queensland government abandon these unwanted forced amalgamations and follow this clear expression of democratic will? Does the Prime Minister really understand the impact of these amalgamations on the people of Queensland?

Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I thank the honourable member for his question. I am on the record outside the parliament, inside the parliament, prior to the last election and since the last election as being opposed to forced amalgamations at a local authority level. That has always been my position and always will be my position. That is why we backed the proposal by the previous government to test local community sentiment on these questions. I have seen the results of that. Those good people reflect the view which I have, which is that forced amalgamations should not proceed. On this question, my position is in complete opposition to that of the state government of Queensland—has been in the past and is so today—and that position does not change.