Qld election 2024: Every Labor, LNP lie this campaign fact checked

Scare campaigns and blatant lies have been coming thick and fast throughout the election campaign, with both major parties guilty. So we’ve taken a hard look at the claims, and the reality.

Scare campaigns and misleading claims have been rife from both major parties throughout the past three weeks, from the Labor’s so-called patient tax to the LNP privatising hospitals.

They’ve included scare campaigns on hospitals, abortion, coal royalties, public service cuts, GP tax to cost of living, with many baseless.

Now, we’ve put the scare campaigns to the fact checker.

FOLLOW OUR COMPLETE ELECTION COVERAGE HERE

HOSPITALS

Claim: Flyers and billboards authorised by United Workers Union’s Gary Bullock appeared in 10 electorates claiming the LNP would sell hospitals. A flyer endorsed by Labor State Secretary Kate Flanders says Mr Crisafulli would “privatise satellite hospitals’’.

A Queensland election pamphlet authorised by Gary Bullock from the United Workers Union trying to say the LNP will sell off the local Logan Hospital. Picture Supplied

Reality: Mr Crisafulli has ruled out privatising hospitals. His health spokeswoman Ros Bates has suggested using private hospitals to treat public patients where there is no capacity.

ABORTION

Claim: Labor has claimed its 2018 abortion law reforms would be wound back by the LNP. A flyer endorsed by Ms Flanders says “this election is a choice’’ and contrasts Premier Steven Miles as “protecting a woman’s right to choose’’ to Opposition Leader David Crisafulli for “reproductive rights taken away’’.

Reality: Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly insisted “there won’t be any changes” to the laws if he is elected, this week conceding he would not be popular with Queenslanders if he did. However he has refused to say whether he would rule out a conscience vote – as is usually the case for matters of life or death. The Katters Australian Party says it would introduce a Private Member’s Bill on the issue – meaning if a conscience vote is not ruled out, the law could be changed.

COAL ROYALTIES

Claim: Labor claims the LNP would cut its tiered coal royalty scheme which has delivered billions for new infrastructure and cost of living measures. Flyers, again endorsed by Ms Flanders, read: “David Crisafulli wants to give more than $10bn a year to multinational mining companies. This means massive cuts for Queensland.”

Reality: Mr Crisafulli has ruled out changes to royalties, but only in his first four-year term.

PUBLIC SERVICE CUTS

Claim: Labor claims the LNP’s pledge to cut debt, pay for billions in promises and not raise taxes means the only way to balance the books is to cut the public service – as former premier Campbell Newman did. A flyer endorsed by Ms Flanders said Mr Crisafulli will “cut nurses, public servants, police, infrastructure and essential services’’.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie. Picture: John Gass

Reality: Deputy Leader Jarrod Bleijie won’t reveal his costings until next Thursday, but Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly ruled out cuts to the public service – saying he will upskill them rather than sack them.

GP TAX

Claim: The LNP sent out mass text messages to voters with claims their local Labor MP had “voted for Labor’s Patients Tax” the day before early voting opened. The message directed voters to a website authorised by LNP state director Ben Riley.

Reality: Mr Miles insists there never was a GP tax. Instead his government gave GP clinics a moratorium on payroll tax they would have been liable for after an interstate tax ruling. He has since promised – during the campaign – to exempt GPs from the tax, despite insisting that same tax never existed.

COST OF LIVING

Claim: Flyers authorised by Mr Riley say “grocery prices are up nearly 30 per cent under Labor’’ and “insurance premiums have been driven up by ... crime’’.

Reality: Grocery prices have risen as inflation soared post-pandemic. The government has limited powers to control grocery prices. It has held a supermarket inquiry, since criticised for achieving nothing. Home insurance premiums have also risen substantially, but only a portion of that has been due to crime. Natural disasters are a big contributor.

RENTERS’ TAX

Deputy Premier Cameron Dick. Picture: Adam Head

Claim: An LNP Facebook ad claims “Labor’s renters’ tax will be back’’, because Treasurer Cameron Dick said he would commit to a “post-election review of taxes impacting the property industry’’.

Reality: Labor have pledged no new or increased taxes for residents.

LAUGHS AT CRIME

Claim: Mr Miles has been accused of laughing at youth crime in a One Nation ad, after appearing giggling when a reporter asked him at a lunch event in February about rising juvenile crime rates.

Reality: He said the reaction was a nervous one – prompted by the question being why he had not talked about youth crime in a speech that was solely about housing policy.