Palaszczuk Government accused of ‘hubris and complacency’ by former Labor strategist
One of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s former chief strategists has savaged the Labor Government, accusing it of having no plan to fix Queensland‘s battered economy and committing the ultimate election sin.
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One of Annastacia Palaszczuk’s former chief strategists has savaged the Labor Government for arrogantly assuming it had already won the October state election because of COVID-19 while having no plan to fix Queensland‘s battered economy.
Respected Labor figure Cameron Milner, who helped guide the Beattie government to landslide victories as Labor‘s state secretary in 2001 and 2004, has accused the Government of “hubris and complacency” for believing the coronavirus health response alone would be enough to win over Queenslanders.
“Voters are looking for a plan as well as a dose of hope,” Mr Milner said in an opinion piece for The Courier-Mail.
“They want to vote for the future, not just give a tick for keeping community transmission at zero for 14 days. People want to know the economic recovery is as well planned and managed as the current COVID-19 health response.”
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Mr Milner said the Premier had talked a lot about complacency during the war against COVID-19.
“The same can be said of the hubris and complacency that says Labor has it locked in rather than realising every election win has to be earned through hard work and a strong clear plan,” he said.
“To win a majority, Labor must recognise that voters vote for jobs, health and education through a clear plan for the future, even in the shadow of a global pandemic, a Great Depression or indeed a World War.”
Mr Milner’s stinging condemnation comes amid growing criticism from business leaders across Queensland over the Government’s failure to detail a long-term plan that specifically targets the fallout from the coronavirus-induced recession.
Former premier Peter Beattie last month detailed his own 10-point plan to resurrect the Queensland economy but his proposals were dismissed by Annastacia Palaszczuk because he currently lives in Sydney.
The Government has consistently spruiked its existing commitments on infrastructure and job-creation as responses to the pandemic while promising a more significant blueprint sometime in September, on the eve of the October 31 election.
However, Mr Milner, who was part of Ms Palaszczuk’s inner strategy team at the 2015 and 2017 elections, said Labor had forgotten that history was littered with examples of leaders who had assumed victory was assured after a crisis.
“Why did they lose after having led through the crisis? Because all wanted to be voted in for past actions rather than the promise and plan of future actions,” Mr Milner said.
“All rested on their laurels while voters had moved on to the future.”
Mr Milner said the Queensland electorate was as volatile now as before the COVID crisis and repeated polls had shown no resurgence in Labor’s support.
“Labor is already under threat in tightly held regional marginals like Thuringowa, Townsville and Mundingburra,” he said.
“Add to that Keppel and Barron River even before you sweep through Aspley, Mansfield and Redlands.
“You have to ask how popular border closures have been to the electors in hyper marginal Gaven on the Gold Coast given how reliant the local economy is on tourism – both interstate and international.”
Mr Milner said Labor had lulled itself into a false sense of security because Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington wasn’t popular and had been sidelined in the pandemic.
“I’d counter that every day Labor is talking just COVID is another day less they are getting to put their plans for the future to the people of Queensland,” he said.
While Jackie Trad’s exit from the ministry had brought cohesion to the Government and helped the campaign to come, Mr Milner said her battle to reclaim South Brisbane would be crucial.
“The LNP’s decision to try to unseat a hard left leader in Jackie Trad and vote in a hard left Greens member on preferences only adds to Labor’s challenges to achieve a majority in their own right,” he said.
Mr Milner said if the Government failed to put forward a plan, there was a risk Queensland could be left with a cobbled together alliance between Labor, the Greens and Katter’s Australian Party or an LNP administration propped up by One Nation.
“It’s a recipe for an economic disaster,” he said.
“Just as Queensland needs strong leadership to work through the economic crisis wrought by COVID-19 we need a majority government focused solely on delivering jobs and growth.”