Queensland Treasurer Cameron Dick has defended adding 3,900 new public servants to the government’s payroll after delivering a shocking state budget.

The Palaszczuk government today provided a grim economic update in which Queensland’s forecast $234 million surplus has turned into a $8 billion deficit as a result of COVID-19.

The state’s total debt is set to soar to $102 billion this financial year.

“Are Queenslanders getting value for money by increasing the size of the public service?” Scott Emerson asked the Treasurer.

“Yes, I believe so. Very much so,” Mr Dick responded.

“When I was the Health Minister … we had 104,000 people waiting longer than clinically recommended for a specialist outpatient appointment.

“I reduced that … to 39,000.

“We are capping non-frontline service growth, so the only public service growth we’ll see in Queensland will be … more nurses, more doctors, more allied health professionals in our hospitals.”

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Image: Nine News