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Qld election 2020: COVID-19 drives record early voter turnout

A Labor campaign bus has created an awkward presence at Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington's latest press conference, gatecrashing the event. It comes as Deputy Premier Steven Miles is forced to explain a social media post from 11 years ago. 

Nathan Edwards James Hall Domanii Cameron Charlie Peel Madura McCormack Charlie Peel
less than 2 min read
October 27, 2020 - 7:02AM
Queensland Election: Everything you need to know

Welcome to The Courier Mail's live rolling coverage of the Queensland 2020 state election. 

 

 

Stay up to date with the latest on the campaign trail in our live blog below.

Making news today: 

  • $8m LNP innovation fund for manufacturers
  • Frecklington: 'Beattie and I have one thing in common'
  • Premier announces $10m for hydrogen industry
  • 'LNP cuts' bus gatecrashes Frecklington presser
  • Palaszczuk brushes off Beattie conflict
  • Queensland records no new COVID-19 cases
  • Virus drives record early voter turnout

Live Updates

Frecklington says LNP understands regions, resources

Caitlin Smith

Deb Frecklington has capped off a whirlwind tour of the regions with a quick stop in central Queensland before returning to Brisbane on Tuesday afternoon.

Speaking at a heavy equipment firm in Rockhampton, held by Labor’s Barry O’Rourke with a 5.2 per cent margin, Ms Frecklington outlined her commitments to the region.

She said only an LNP government would understand the regions and the resources industry.

Ms Frecklington rebuffed calls from Labor ministers asking her to denounce Clive Palmer’s claims Labor would introduce a death tax.

She said she was focused only on her campaign and alleged the Palaszczuk government was crying foul over the death tax in a bid to drown out criticism of Labor’s costings.

It was revealed on Monday that a re-elected Palaszczuk government would require Queensland Health to make $1bn in savings measures to be able to afford its election commitments.

“The Labor party today are desperately trying to take the focus off Labor’s $1bn health efficiency dividend that they are ripping out of Queensland Health,” Ms Frecklington said.

“That is a shocking display of getting rid of the health department budget during a pandemic.

“The LNP would never do that.”

Deputy Premier called out on 2009 Facebook post

Caitlin Smith

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has been forced to state his support of the coal industry after a damning social media post surfaced of him criticising Queensland’s push for new coal projects.

Mr Miles, who was helping to sandbag the marginal Labor-held seat of Townsville on Tuesday, has repeatedly called out political hopefuls for past social media posts.

But the tables turned on Mr Miles after a Facebook post from 2009 surfaced, showing him criticising  the then-Bligh government’s “plans to fast-track new coal mines” despite climate change.

“The entire world is gathered to find a solution to climate change caused by digging up fossil fuels and burning them,” he wrote in the post.  

“Meanwhile in Queensland we announce plans to fast-track new coal mines and new train tracks so we can dig more up and get it to the furnace quicker.”

Mr Miles said he was supportive of the coal mining industry and new coal-related projects.  

“I continue to support new coal projects as this government has continued to do,” he said.

“What I was supporting there was the transition, the ongoing pursuit of renewable jobs as well. We can have both. And that's precisely what we're doing here in Queensland.”

The health minister was in the electorate of Townsville promising to chip in $20 million toward the Royal Flying Doctor Service’s $87 million plan to upgrade its infrastructure across regional Queensland.

A re-elected Labor government would also extend its partnership with the RFDS for an extra decade.

It’s hoped the project will create jobs during construction, give the RFDS room to expand, and result in the hiring of extra staff including aircraft engineers to support operations.

$8m LNP innovation fund for manufacturers

Edward.Randell

Ms Frecklington spent Tuesday morning in the central Queensland Labor electorate of Mackay, where she announced funding for an $8m “innovation fund” to assist businesses in developing new products.

She visited mining machinery fabricator Mainetec in southern Mackay to make the announcement.

“What I’m announcing today is a fund to back business innovation in the manufacturing industry,” Ms Frecklington said.

“The product development fund will assist businesses like Mainetec to apply for a $100,000 contesible grant and they would be able to develop their product, employ more people and grow Queensland.

“Businesses like Mainetec will grow and develop and employ more people if only they get a government that backs them and that’s exactly what the LNP will do.”

The Opposition Leader, who has spent much of the campaign in regional Queensland, particularly focusing on Labor electorates in Townsville, Cairns, Rockhampton and Mackay, denied she had neglected Brisbane.

“I’ve spent a great deal of time in Brisbane, in actual fact most people in my electorate probably think I spend too much time there,” she said.

“I want to be a premier for all of Queensland, I want to bridge the divide between the southeast and the rest of Queensland.”

Ms Frecklington said the Palaszczuk government had ignored the regions and did not support the resources industry, which is a major employer in north and central Queensland.

“We know the Palaszczuk government doesn’t support the regions, it’s got no plan to create jobs and it certainly doesn’t back the resources industry and that’s where the LNP stands up,” Ms Frecklington said.

“The LNP backs central Queensland. The LNP backs the regions and will back all of Queensland, and we back the resources sector.”

Frecklington: 'Beattie and I have one thing in common'

Edward.Randell

Deb Frecklington says she shares common ground with former Labor premier Peter Beattie, who has called for Queensland’s border to be reopened to travellers from New South Wales.

Asked about Mr Beattie’s comments saying it was time Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk lifted the border restrictions, the Liberal National Party leader said she would “let the Labor party have their own internal fights”.

“Peter Beattie and I have got one thing in common and that is that we believe in targets for unemployment in this great state of ours,” she said.

“That’s why I have set an ambitious target of 5 per cent.

“He did the same thing. It’s a shame the Labor party has no plan and no ambition for this great state.”

“I’ll let the Labor have their own internal fights, what I want to do is talk about the LNP’s vision for Queensland.”

The LNP leader labelled Labor’s $1bn in savings measures within the health department needed to fund its election commitments as a “cut”, claiming Labor had been caught lying.

“With the LNP’s costings, there will be no cuts to Queensland Health, there will be no efficiency dividend in Queensland Health, like Labor have done,” Ms Frecklington said.

“Labor have been caught out in a lie, it is only the LNP that will create jobs in the health sector.”

The LNP will release its costings on Thursday.

Premier announces $10m for hydrogen industry

Edward.Randell

Queensland's hydrogen industry will receive another $10 million from a re-elected Palaszczuk Government.  

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made the announcement at De Goey Contractors in Mackay's industrial area of Paget this morning, with local MP Julieanne Gilbert and Treasurer Cameron Dick. 

Mackay, which has a margin of 8.34 per cent, has been held by Labor since 1974. 

The $10 million injection will increase Labor's Hydrogen Industry Development Fund to $25 million, and will be used to partner with industry.

Ms Palaszczuk said backing the LNG industry had created "thousands and thousands" of jobs. 

"I want to see more jobs right throughout Queensland and Mackay has enormous capability when we're talking about hydrogen," she said.

"Hydrogen has the ability to be like the next LNG industry for Queensland.

"And when we're talking about vision for the future, this is about jobs, this is going to be a new energy resource that the whole world will be fighting over and I want Queensland to be front and centre with that." 

The fund has supported SunMetals Zinc Refinery in north Queensland to build a hydrogen facility, along with a $4.2 million domestic gas blending facility for Australian Gas Networks in Gladstone.

Meanwhile, the Palaszczuk Government has promised to contribute $1 million in matched funding towards the Whitsundays Skyway development.

Ms Palaszczuk made the announcement in Mackay this morning, after having visited Airlie Beach in the Whitsundays overnight. 

The funding will purchase additional land for Conway National Park.

The seat of Whitsunday is the state's second most marginal seat, held by North Queensland First Leader Jason Costigan by just 0.68 per cent. 

Mr Costigan, who was kicked out of the LNP at the beginning of last year, secured 32.2 per cent of the primary vote in 2017 when he was the LNP incumbent. 

A Labor campaign bus created an awkward presence at Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington's press conference on Tuesday morning.

A black bus imploring voters not to "risk LNP cuts" showed up, with Frecklington's face alongside former Premier Campbell Newman.

During the media appearance, the Opposition Leader told reporters not to fall for "Labor lies".

'LNP cuts' bus gatecrashes Frecklington's presser

Edward.Randell

A Labor campaign bus created an awkward presence at Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington's press conference on Tuesday morning.

A black bus imploring voters not to "risk LNP cuts" showed up, with Frecklington's face alongside former Premier Campbell Newman.

During the media appearance, the Opposition Leader told reporters not to fall for "Labor lies".

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Disgraceful: Palmer’s ‘bulls**t’ death tax campaign blasted

Edward.Randell

Outgoing Tourism Minister Kate Jones has launched a blistering attack on Clive Palmer, accusing him of ‘using his millions’ on a ‘bulls**t’ campaign to scare elderly Queenslanders including her 91-year-old grandmother.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk says she isn't fazed by former Queensland Labor premier Peter Beattie weighing into the handling of COVID-19 restrictions, insisting she listens to the health advice.

Mr Beattie told News Corp that the NSW model was the one Australia needed to adopt, conceding while Queensland had initially taken the right approach, "we've moved past that now".

Ms Palaszczuk today insisted she was unperturbed by his comments when she woke up this morning, saying she woke up "quite happy every morning".

"That is what I have always maintained (listening to the health advice) and that is what has made Queensland stand strong during these times," she said. 

"We have a strong health response which means our economy is opening up." 

Palaszczuk brushes off Beattie conflict

Edward.Randell

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk says she isn't fazed by former Queensland Labor premier Peter Beattie weighing into the handling of COVID-19 restrictions, insisting she listens to the health advice.

Mr Beattie told News Corp that the NSW model was the one Australia needed to adopt, conceding while Queensland had initially taken the right approach, "we've moved past that now".

Ms Palaszczuk today insisted she was unperturbed by his comments when she woke up this morning, saying she woke up "quite happy every morning".

"That is what I have always maintained (listening to the health advice) and that is what has made Queensland stand strong during these times," she said. 

"We have a strong health response which means our economy is opening up." 

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