Queensland Election 2017: Rolling coverage of the campaign
THE slim margins of this weekend’s state election have been highlighted by a new poll, but Annastacia Palaszczuk won’t be celebrating just yet.
QLD Election
Don't miss out on the headlines from QLD Election. Followed categories will be added to My News.
- Coal-fired power stations face closure
- Voters have dim view of promises
- Lifeline for the middle-aged
- Horn backs Premier as PM slams ‘do nothing’ Labor
A NEW ReachTEL poll conducted for Sky News has found Labor is leading the LNP 51 to 49 per cent, two-party preferred, on a statewide basis.
This compares with the Galaxy poll conducted at the end of the first week of the campaign, which had Labor leading the LNP 52 per cent to 48 per cent, two-party preferred.
ReachTEL also polled three seats – Ferny Grove, Thuringowa and Whitsunday.
It found Labor would retain Ferny Grove easily, leading the LNP 54 per cent to 46 per cent, two-party preferred, but was neck and neck with One Nation in Thuringowa and with the LNP in Whitsunday.
LNP volunteer’s move ‘an utter disgrace’
A LNP volunteer has been caught handing out how to vote cards for both Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey and former One Nation candidate turned independent Andy Semple.
Photos of the volunteer picking up an LNP branded shirt and holding both Ms Stuckey and Mr Semple’s how to vote cards were captured at the pre-poll booth in Bilinga.
Ms Stuckey said the photos were not an issue as there were no restrictions on who could hand out how to vote cards, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.
Mr Semple withdrew from being a One Nation candidate late last year about a backlash for comments he made online about Muslims and women.
Labor candidate Georgi Leader said she was shocked to see the woman changing out of the LNP branded shirt to hand out how to vote cards for Mr Semple.
“This just goes to show the collusion we’re seeing every day between the LNP, One Nation and so-called independents at pre-polling,” Ms Leader said.
“It’s an utter disgrace the LNP would stoop so low to fool voters.
“It’s like the LNP is running multiple candidates in Currumbin in secret.”
Ms Stuckey said she was not aware of the incident but that people could hand out for whoever they wanted to.
“It’s not uncommon on polling day to see the Labor Party looking after the Greens cards,” she said.
Ms Stuckey said a number of her volunteers knew Mr Semple personally.
The Currumbin MP caused a stir at the a community meeting last week after she accused co-hosts Friends of Currumbin of bias after the group’s president was seen handing out how to vote cards for Labor.
Ms Stuckey said the two situations were “completely different”.
Mr Semple said he was not aware of the incident as he was not at the polling booth.
“I do not know what is going on up there,” he said.
Mr Semple said he left how to vote cards at the booth every morning before leaving the booth for work.
“I have to run my business first,” he said.
The Labor Party has previously accused the LNP and One Nation of colluding when it came to preferences and handling the pre-polling booths.
— Lea Emery (Gold Coast Bulletin)
Hanson delays return to campaign
Pauline Hanson isn’t expected to return to the Queensland election campaign until later this week after the birth of her fifth grandchild.
The One Nation leader suspended campaigning on Sunday to travel interstate for the birth of Nate Lee, a boy.
Senator Hanson initially expected to return to Queensland on Tuesday.
“I’ll be back Tuesday, so don’t think for a second I’m out of the campaign all together,” she said on Sunday.
“Imagine if it’s a little girl with fiery red hair, I’ll have a little mini me to keep the two major parties on their toes at the next federal election.”
Senator Hanson’s chief of staff James Ashby said the ‘Battler Bus’ tour would be returning later in the week.
Mayor shares disappointment over Adani move
TOWNSVILLE Mayor Jenny Hill says she has spoken of her disappointment with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk over her decision to sensationally torpedo a federal loan to Adani for their railroad.
Speaking alongside Ms Palaszczuk this afternoon in the outskirts of Townsville, Ms Hill stopped short of saying the Premiers decision during the first week of the campaign would cost Labor votes in the region, but said she was still hopeful of the project going ahead.
“I expressed to the Premier my disappointment, but I know that isn’t a showstopper. The Adani project, will if it stacks up — and I think it will — go ahead,” she said.
“This is a huge project and the Adani company has said previously that the NAIF funding wasn’t really needed so we are going to hold them to their word.”
Ms Hill then deflected further questions on the matter, instead spruiking other projects Ms Palaszczuk’s government has funded in the Townsville area.
“It’s a big state, everyone has different views but I think what we need to talk about is the support they are giving North Queensland,” she said.
“I can tell you as a local Mayor, the Works for Queensland program is supported by all rural and regional Mayors that I have spoken to, it’s an important program and we haven’t seen the Opposition give us any likelihood that they are going to support it.”
— Trenton Akers
Why M1 funding fix is still in doubt
THE key Gold Coast commitment made by LNP leader Tim Nicholls to fund an M2 still remains in doubt, according to Labor.
ALP-based Gold Coast Senator Murray Watt today said the Federal Government was still failing to commit the funding needed to deliver it.
“Five days have now passed since I asked the Federal Minister in charge of answering transport questions, Senator Nigel Scullion, about Mr Nicholls’ claims that the Federal Government had agreed to fund half of his proposed second M1,” Senator Watt told the Gold Coast Bulletin.
“Five days on and not a single word from the Government about whether there really is a deal, or whether this is something Mr Nicholls has made up, to save his lazy local MPs.”
Senator Watt had asked how much had been allocated in the Federal Government’s forward estimates for the proposal and what analysis was undertaken into the cost of building a second motorway.
“These questions were met with blank looks and were taken on notice,” Senator Watt told the Bulletin.
“How can we trust the LNP to deliver on their promise if the Minister representing Transport in the Senate hadn’t even heard of their policy.
“With the State election looking very close, the Gold Coast is likely to determine who forms government after Saturday.
“Conveniently, after six years of silence on the M1, the LNP have emerged with a policy during the election campaign. Perhaps they should have told their Federal counterparts about the policy first before saying they were on board.”
Federal Infrastructure Minister Paul Fletcher has indicated the LNP proposal to develop an M2 did not come as a surprise.
He said the State LNP had proposed a 50-50 split for the $500 million project.
But he has cautioned that it would need its business case assessed by independent Infrastructure Australia because it was seeking over $100 million.
— Paul Weston (Gold Coast Bulletin)
Water pipeline breaks ground
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has attended the sod turning for the new Townsville water pipeline, one of the projects she hopes will shore up seats in the area ahead of Saturday’s election.
Labor has already allocated $215 million to the pipeline, which is needed to secure the city’s supply during drought.
Mayor Jenny Hill welcomed the start of construction and thanked the premier for the funding.
“This is a critical piece of water security infrastructure for our city and the premier delivered on her promise to find a solution to our water issues,” Cr Hill said.
The Premier said she had decided to put the money in the budget and not wait for federal funding because she recognised how important the project was to Townsville.
However it will also be important in her quest to retain electorates. Labor’s Coralee O’Rourke is facing stiff competition for the seat of Mundingburra, while the party will hope to retain Thuringowa and Townsville itself as it looks to reach 47 seats and a majority in the 93-seat parliament.
“I value all of my local members here. Coralee, Aaron (Harper) and Scott (Stewart) are some of the hardest working local members you’ll meet,” the Premier said.
“Through the hard work of these local members, as well as talks with the mayor, we’re delivering things like the Townsville stadium.”
The mayor added she would like to see federal funding to upgrade the Port of Townsville.
The pipeline is expected to be completed in the next 26 months, with a focus on local construction jobs.
— Stuart Layt (AAP)
‘I’m not controlling where I go’: Premier
Dumped Labor MP Rick Williams has released another recording of Annastacia Palaszczuk on his Facebook account, this time featuring the Premier saying Labor’s party office is “controlling” her movements.
The audio was released online this morning as the election campaign enters the final week.
Mr Williams, who is running as an independent after he was dumped by Labor less than 48 hours before Ms Palaszczuk visited the Governor to call the election, says on his Facebook page that the release is in the “public interest”.
Mr Williams can be heard asking when Ms Palaszczuk is coming to his electorate.
The audio the cuts to the Premier who can be heard to say: “Now party office controlling where I go. I’m not controlling where I go”.
Ms Palaszczuk hit back at Mr Williams while campaigning in Cairns this morning, questioning his motives behind recording all conversations.
“He is no longer a member of my team. Let me make it very clear, in the lead up to an election campaign, of course people get advice from their respective parties about where they should go — that happens across all parties. Rick Williams is no longer a member of my team,” she said.
“What kind of a man tapes constituent conversations, he’s not longer a member of my team.”
The LNP’s Tim Nicholls said he made the decisions as to where he travels.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk (is) passing off responsibility for even where she goes,” he said.
“We’re talking about a government that has 200 reviews and committees about where they go.
“She now seems to be deferring where her own itinerary is.”
– Sarah Vogler, Jack McKay
‘No plans’ to shut power plants: Labor
Queensland’s Labor government says again insisted it has no plans to shut down state-owned coal-fired power stations so it can meet its renewable energy target.
As reported in The Courier-Mail, Energy Minister Mark Bailey has rubbished a new analysis of Labor’s 50 per cent renewable target by 2030, which warns of power station closures and an increased risk of widespread blackouts.
He says the analysis is the work of former LNP federal candidate Jonathan Pavetto, and claims of plant closures are politically-driven nonsense. “We have got no plans to close any of them,” Mr Bailey told ABC radio today.
“Mr Pavetto was intimately involved in the privatisation program as a consultant by Tim Nicholls and Campbell Newman ... you’ve got to see it in that context.”
Mr Pavetto, an electricity economist, produced the analysis for the Australian Institute for Progress, whose executive director is former Queensland Liberal Party vice president Graham Young and whose directors include former Queensland Liberal Party state president Bob Tucker.
Mr Pavetto’s analysis says Stanwell’s Tarong plant near Kingaroy would be first to close in 2018-19, followed by two units at the Gladstone Power Station in 2020-21 and Stanwell’s Rockhampton station in 2026-27.
He also warns Labor’s green power policy could result in blackouts across the state, for up to 15 per cent of the year, once the policy is in full force.
Mr Pavetto went on ABC radio today to defend his views, which he says are backed by the Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO).
“What their reporting shows is that to get to a 50 per cent renewable target by 2030 — and they have modelled this — is that there will be some requirement to close down power stations in Queensland,” he said.
He says AEMO has stated in its National Transmission Network Development Plan that coal-fired power generation would have to be cut to reach the 2030 renewables target, with Tarong, half of the Gladstone plant, and then Rockhampton to close.
“If you’re going to be having a 50 per cent renewables capacity ... you have to displace some of that coal generation from somewhere,” Mr Pavetto said. The Electrical Trades Union backed the Labor government, calling Mr Pavetto’s work a “deeply partisan” analysis from a right-wing think-tank backed by Liberals.
Union spokesman Keith McKenzie says the ETU trusted Labor not to shut power plants and not to sell public assets.
LNP leader Tim Nicholls says he’s seen the reports of plant closures, and his party flatly rejected Labor’s “crazy” renewable energy target.
“Queenslanders want reliable and affordable power; they don’t want to end up like South Australia with blackouts and the most expensive power in the western world,” he told reporters in Bundaberg.
— Tracy Ferrier (AAP)
Managing economy priority over debt
Treasurer Curtis Pitt believes the state’s debt won’t reach the projected $81 billion, but has been unable to say what the government will do to prevent it from rising.
Speaking in Cairns this morning, Mr Pitt said while all the LNP could promise was a “she’ll be right” approach, the government could only promise to do their “very best.”
“There is no case in Queensland where you will ever see zero debt, let’s be clear about that. We have to make sure we manage it and that we don’t sacrifice the economy in the process,” he said.
Mr Pitt said the government would use Government Owned Corporations (GOC’s) to help pay down the debt despite the Labor Government previously announcing they would be using dividends from some of the corporations to offer power subsidies.
The Treasurer said he would continue the current model of using parts of GOC’s dividends to pay down the debt, despite it continuing to rise.
“Budgets are about priorities, our budget priorities will be continuing job creation, will be continuing to ensure our energy power prices have downward pressure and of course it will be about ensuring the services Queenslanders expect,” he said.
“We have a number of different revenue streams, that’s what I do with the budget every year. We make a decision on money in, money out — we use revenue streams to pay down debt to create fiscal services we need.
“I’ve said to you today we will be doing our very best to do something about it, it is about prioritising our spend in budgets, that has got to be a very fine line between improving the state’s financial position, which is a very good position let me say over the last couple of years compared to where it was under the LNP.”
– Trenton Akers
Spending in the regions
The LNP has thrown more money at the regions, with Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls revealing his party would deliver several upgrades along the Bruce Highway.
A swag of regional intersections and bridges deemed unsafe or flood-prone would be upgraded under a Liberal National Party government, Mr Nicholls announced.
In Bundaberg today, Mr Nicholls committed $360 million to fix a dozen sections of the Bruce Highway spread across the state, in addition to existing funding allocated under the state government’s Queensland Transport and Roads Investment Program.
Included in the works are intersection upgrades in Bowen, Proserpine, Gympie and Mackay, and improving a bridge in Currajong.
Mr Nicholls pledged $3.8 million towards the $21 million Bruce Highway curve realignment north of Miriam Vale.
“Bundaberg and Wide Bay residents have suffered from a lack of infrastructure projects for too long under Annastacia Palaszczuk,” he said.
“This is a dangerous corner and our commitment will see lives potentially saved.”
He also renewed the LNP’s pledge to upgrade eleven other sections of the Bruce Highway, including a section in Mackay and another in Bowen.
It comes on the heels of other LNP election campaign promises to boost and future-proof major Queensland roads, including plans to replicate the notoriously congested M1 motorway if elected on November 25.
In Brisbane today, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told ABC Radio the federal government would cover 50 per cent of the $500 million needed to complete the project, a figure Labor has said falls well below of the funds needed.
Asked whether Mr Turnbull’s commitment was too modest, Mr Nicholls said an equal split had been accepted by the current state Labor government for other projects.
— Jack McKay and AAP
Leaders hit regions for final blitz
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls will start the last week of the Queensland election campaign in the regions in a last-ditch effort to win over voters.
The premier will campaign in Cairns on Monday, while Mr Nicholls will be in Bundaberg in the state’s Wide Bay region.
Both left the southeast on Sunday afternoon following their respective campaign launches on the Gold Coast and in Brisbane.
Ms Palaszczuk was introduced by world boxing champion Jeff Horn, who said she backed his title defence so he was backing her.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull spoke at Mr Nicholls’ event in his first visit to Queensland since the election was called three weeks ago. One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, who is not contesting the state election, temporarily left the trail on Sunday when her daughter went into labour. She is expected to return to Queensland on Tuesday, while state leader and LNP- defector Steve Dickson is expected to continue to campaign in his Buderim electorate on Monday.
— Shae McDonald, AAP
You can thank me for majority: Miller
RENEGADE MP Jo-Ann Miller claims her decision to reach out to Pauline Hanson gave Labor the winning edge at November 25’s state election.
Premier announces full frontbench
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has announced her full Cabinet for the 56th Parliament, including both familiar and new faces for Queensland’s most important ministerial portfolios.