Editorial: Without the ‘evil Tories’ Premier has no one to blame

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s reaction to the federal budget showcases how she’s lost a key political trick she has long relied on, writes the editor.

Bashing Canberra – that is, blaming the federal government for the state’s woes – is a beloved tactic of any Queensland premier. It is an easy deflection from your own failings, and has been employed by pretty well every state leader going back into history.

How strange it was, then, to see Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in state parliament yesterday doing her best to defend a federal budget – delivered by a Queensland-based Treasurer – that has simply deleted $1 billion of spending commitments previously locked in for the state.

Ms Palaszczuk said she had every expectation that her Labor colleagues now in power in Canberra would come through for Queensland “in future budgets”.

Now, she did also say she was disappointed that some transport projects – we assume including the needed and promised ring road for Rockhampton – had been deferred and that she “will absolutely be discussing that with the federal government”. But that one aside (and one about more work needing to be done in sharing the ballooning costs of healthcare) her response was like a wet lettuce compared to the attack the Premier would no doubt have launched on the budget had it been delivered by the Coalition.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese with Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Instead, Ms Palaszczuk was the very model of optimism as she told parliament: “I expect more to come for Queensland in future budgets.”

No cash for Brisbane Olympics and Paralympics infrastructure? “The budget flags future funding.”

An indefinite delay for support from the feds for the Hughenden Irrigation Project in north Queensland? “We are continuing to work ... to progress the scheme and support the proponent.”

It was in all a tightrope act that would wow any Cirque du Soleil audience as the Premier flipped back and forth from saying things like “we have always advocated for more funding for Queensland and will not stop now” with assurances like “there is welcome cost of living relief for Queensland families and support for more good jobs in emerging industries”.

It is, of course, what you would expect from a Labor Premier commenting on a Labor federal budget. But the point is that it was the first time we saw in action the challenges that will confront Ms Palaszczuk and her government as they start to think about how they will win the next state election, to be held two years from yesterday.

So entrenched was Canberra bashing in the Palaszczuk playbook when the Scott Morrison-led Coalition government was in power before the May election that the Premier last year infamously wasted more than $200 million of taxpayer cash on an unnecessary quarantine facility at Wellcamp, outside of Toowoomba, simply to win a single day’s political argument with the feds.

Without the “evil Tories” in Canberra to blame for the state’s woes, the Premier enters the second half of her third term without a key political trick she has relied on.

We would suggest that perhaps a worthwhile substitute could be that she uses her friendships with those now holding the nation’s purse strings and lock in some federal cash over the new two years for a few of the big ticket items for Queensland that were not funded in this budget. The Albanese government’s cash for Victoria this time shows it is willing to help state Labor parties facing re-election.