Former Queensland Liberal National premier Campbell Newman has unleashed on Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s economic credentials, blaming his former colleague’s policies for contributing to last week’s interest rate rise.

With cost of living a key theme of the May 21 election, Mr Newman – who is running as a Liberal Democrat candidate in the Queensland Senate race – also took aim at the PM’s leadership, saying voters would only vote for the Coalition “through gritted teeth” to avoid an Albanese Labor government.