Madura McCormack

Asbestos-riddled schools and poorly maintained education facilities will be the early focus of the last day of budget estimates.

Hundreds more child safety officers will be recruited, a new safe house built, and a new “professional” foster carer program trialled under the LNP’s multimillion-dollar promise to reform the child protection system.

The LNP hasn’t pledged enough money to its ambitious child protection plan, the state government has alleged, slamming the Opposition for rubbery figures.

Queensland’s public service gender pay gap has fallen to record lows, but new government data reveals one under-fire agency has been going backward.

Millions of dollars will be pumped into fixing Queensland’s forensic DNA lab crisis, up to 20 frontline staff hired, and a new judge added in Townsville under a $21.5m LNP plan to boost Queensland’s justice system and clear a growing backlog of cases.

Queensland’s progressive three-strike drug possession laws will be repealed under an LNP government Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has confirmed.

A whopping $1.4bn of Queensland’s budget to build Olympic and Paralympic Games venues was set to be gobbled up by pro-union construction perks, the state government has revealed.

Restrictive trading hours, planning red tape and high property taxes make Queensland one of the worst places to do business in Australia.

The state government has promised to slash $757m in consultant and contractor costs by the end of June, but can’t say how or when a taxpayer-funded firm critical to the commitment will be set up.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese says he’s not one of the world leaders who Donald Trump brags are “calling up to kiss my ass” over tariffs – insisting he only deals with othe nations “as an equal”.