Don't blame it on the opposition.

Don't blame it on the questioning.

Blame it on estimates.

The 2014 Queensland budget estimates hearings have come and gone with nary a splash, with government MPs managing to duck and dive any potential sinkers, while non-government MPs barely made a ripple.

The Opposition, minor parties and independent MP Peter Wellington blamed the new scheduling trial for the lack of impact, with all seven committees sitting at once.

The debate on whether the schedule allowed for proper scrutiny of the government is on-going, but the 12 hours of prolonged questioning didn't go to complete waste.

What we learnt at estimates on Thursday:

Ergon and Energex have each shed about 200 jobs in the last financial year

"This is consistent with the very different future that Energex is facing," its Chief Executive Terry Effeney said.

"Can I firstly say that Energex has fantastic employees and it is a very difficult but necessary task for us to right size our reducing volumes through our network. In that sense, our end of June numbers now are, 3141, compared to the numbers that we provided at the end of last year (around 3,344).

Ergon CEO Ian McLeod told a hearing energy demand and consumption, as well as demand for connection services across the business, had dropped.

"Over the last year, our resource numbers have dropped by 199 people across Ergon Energy," he said.

"That is down to a total of 4415."

Queensland Treasury paid its outside consultants (Phillips Group) nearly $385,000 for six months' work

"I had initiated this process because, when I first joined the department in November last year, in assessing the needs and capacity of the department, I felt that there was a need to supplement our existing resources in communications and build an additional strategic capacity to handle a large number of issues that the department was confronting," Under Treasurer Mark Gray said.

"...The cost of the contract to 30 June was $384,389, excluding GST."

Queenslanders will not find out how much the government has spent on scoping studies for some key assets until (and if) they are sold

"In terms of the scoping studies, as is the normal course, those are commercial-in-confidence," Treasurer Tim Nicholls said.

"The previous government undertook scoping studies before it embarked on its assets sales and privatisation program.

"The previous government maintained the confidence of both the scoping studies and the cost of those scoping studies until the conclusion of its asset divestment program, at which stage it gets reported in accordance with the requirements for reporting the outcomes of asset sales in a final report, as required by the processes and policy established by the previous government.

"I intend to continue to follow that process to make sure people understand what it means, what it costs and what the contents of those scoping studies will be.

"That will be at the end of the process.

"We do not intend to hand to people a competitive advantage so that the people of Queensland do not achieve the best possible value for those assets should the people of Queensland at the next election decide to choose to support the government's policy."

The government still hasn't worked out where the $54 million is coming from to cover the federal government's pensioner and senior concession cuts

"In terms of the top- up, the Premier indicated that we would look to see where there are payments that are made by the state to the Commonwealth, where there are avenues to, if you like, balance the books up against what the Commonwealth pays us in terms of delivery of services and other contributions that we may make," Mr Nicholls said.

"In my role as Treasurer I will be working through the budget documents and I will be working with Treasury officials and with our federal Treasury counterparts to find the funding that will be necessary and we will, of course, report back through the midyear financial and economic review on the sources of funding in order to make up the $54 million that the federal government has ripped through.

"So, we will be providing that information as part of the midyear financial review in terms of where that funding will come from, but in the meantime that funding is assured there. The government and Treasury do have sufficient funds to be able to make sure that applies."

Blood, not water, comes from a stone

"It's like drawing water from a stone," Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said.

"It is so hard for us to get this basic information. We have to ask the CEOs. The ministers do not have this information."

"I think it is blood out of a stone," Mr Nicholls deadpanned.

Now you know.

David Gibson won best chair of a committee award and Energy Minister Mark McArdle remembers to yell government slogans while arguing

Here is just one of the exchanges between Mr McArdle and Opposition MP Tim Mulherin during the Energy and Water Supply estimates hearing, which was chaired by Gympie MP David Gibson.

Mr MULHERIN: Minister, we paid the price for privatisation. Minister, you are the government. When you go to seek a mandate from the people of Queensland will you outline to the people of Queensland potential job losses as a result of privatisation - yes or no?

Mr McARDLE: With all due respect, the Leader of the opposition in the paper on Monday said she would not take yes or no answers. So I am going to elaborate on that particular question. The point is this: you made the comment that you paid the price for privatisation. Let's put this on the record. You made the -

Mr MULHERIN: But you are the government, not us.

Mr McARDLE: I am answering your question.

CHAIR: Gentlemen, again.

Mr MULHERIN: It is your —

CHAIR: Member for Mackay, the minister is answering the question.

Mr McARDLE: You paid the price. You made the comment that you paid the price — for lying about privatisation. That was the price you paid. This government has been open about what we intend to do, and the public will make the determination next year when they go to the polls. So please do not say that you paid the price. You paid the price for lying about privatisation.

CHAIR: Minister —

Mr MULHERIN: So you will not disclose whether there will be job losses.

CHAIR: Member for Mackay! Minister, that language is unparliamentary and I ask you to withdraw.

Mr McARDLE: I withdraw. I will say then that the Labor Party paid the price for misleading the public.

CHAIR: Thank you, Minister.

Mr McARDLE: And the public will have a fully informed —

Mr MULHERIN: Just like your Strong Choices website is misleading —

Mr McARDLE: — absolutely open and accountable —

CHAIR: Member for Mackay!

Mr McARDLE: — a strong plan for a bright future.

CHAIR: Minister!

Mr MULHERIN: No other option.

CHAIR: Gentlemen, we were doing so well.

Mr McARDLE: Bring back Anna.

CHAIR: We were doing so well. Member for Mackay, you have the call.

Mr MULHERIN: I was just making the comment —

CHAIR: Member for Mackay, it would help my position greatly if we made less comments and asked more questions.

Mr McARDLE: The member and I worked this out beforehand, Chair.

Believe it or not, that was a Chair exerting the most control over both a government and opposition member seen throughout the estimates hearings.