The Abbott Government is proving detrimental to Campbell Newman’s election hopes

ACTING Prime Minister Warren Truss has defended Tony Abbott against accusations he could lose Premier Campbell Newman votes at the January 31 poll. | QLD VOTES - FULL COVERAGE

PREMIER Campbell Newman has echoed the comments of acting Prime Minister Warren Truss that he does not need Federal Government ministers or Tony Abbott to “hold his hand”.

“We don’t need to bring in someone like the Leader of the Opposition to hold our hand and prop us up,” Mr Newman said.

“We don’t need that because we actually have the goods for Queenslanders if we are re-elected.

“The only thing that I say about those polls is this; very clearly we could have a hung parliament. Let’s not hang Queensland with a hung parliament. Let’s have a strong team with a strong plan to create jobs and take the state forward.”

He said he believed he had done enough in recent times to differentiate his government from Mr Abbott’s.

He would not confirm whether Mr Abbott would play a key role at his campaign launch, or even attend the function.

“I’ve made the point he’ll be there when there’s something important to talk about,” Mr Newman said.

“We don’t need someone to come in from interstate and prop us up because we are a strong team.”

Mr Truss had defended Tony Abbott against accusations he could lose Premier Campbell Newman votes at the January 31 poll but declared Mr Newman did not need anyone to hold his hand.

“I’ve got no doubt that when there are important things for the Prime Minister to do, that he’ll be in Queensland, but Premier Newman doesn’t need someone else to hold his hand,” Mr Truss said.

“He’s an experienced Premier. It’s his election, it’s an important election for Queensland and he doesn’t need somebody from the southern states to come up and actually hold his hand to win this election. He’ll win it on his own merits.”

He said he was “surprised” by the criticism of Mr Abbott, who is now on leave.

“When the election was announced he was in Iraq, visiting our troops and in the UAE talking about how we were going to deal with the horrors of the Islamic State.

“When he came back the Adelaide fires were on and he had to visit South Australia.

“He has been to Queensland. He went up to Cairns for the large funeral of those children but that was a non campaigning experience.”

Mr Truss said he would be announcing new road projects over the next few days, again denying the Federal Government’s flagging popularity was harming its state counterparts.

“This election is about getting the best government for Queensland. This election is about who can provide the very best leadership for Queensland,” he said.

“The Commonwealth is happy to work constructively with this government and we have shown that we are able to do that and over the next few days in particular we’ll be announcing a lot of road projects which within my own portfolio are examples about the way in which the Federal Government and the State Government have been able to work cooperatively together to make a real difference to infrastructure in this state.”

Mr Truss said it would be up to the Queensland LNP to decide how big a role the federal coalition played at Mr Newman’s campaign launch but hinted it would be less of a role than last time, before the 2012 poll.

“I would imagine they are planning a very suitable launch for the campaign but what you need to remember is this time around there is a Premier,” Mr Truss said.

“There is a Premier who’s got a strong record of achievement, who’s shown strong leadership and has a strong plan so it’s going to be much more about talking that plan than to introduce a new person on to the stage to be Premier for the first time.

“So I think this year’s launch will be different to the previous launch but that’s a matter for the party organisation.”

Mr Truss met with Mr Newman today to announce an infrastructure project. He is the first Federal MP to be seen alongside Mr Newman on the hustings since he called the snap January 31 poll.

It comes after the Premier today declared he would only campaign alongside his federal colleagues if they had an announcement to make that would benefit Queenslanders.

Meanwhile, Premier Campbell Newman has moved to shake off criticism he has failed to mix with the real people, conducting a shopping centre walk in North Lakes today.

Mr Newman perused the aisles in Costco and took selfies with shoppers, flanked by Transport Minister Scott Emerson, Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney and MPs Reg Gulley and Trevor Ruthenberg.

The shopping giant’s first Queensland centre was constructed after the State used its call-in powers to help it go ahead.

EARLIER

THE Newman Government is battling a tidal wave of hostility towards the Abbott Government as it seeks to secure a second term in office on January 31.

A new Galaxy Poll, conducted exclusively for The Courier-Mail, has revealed almost one in three voters are poised to vote against the LNP in Queensland because of federal factors.

The poll has exposed how Queensland is repeating events in Victoria last year, when the Napthine administration became the first in 60 years to be ousted after just one term of office.

Victorian Labor’s push to link federal factors to their rivals throughout the campaign was credited as an important factor behind their victory. And their Queensland colleagues are attempting to repeat their efforts.

Premier Campbell Newman yesterday told The Courier-Mail he would likely only campaign beside the prime minister or one of his federal colleagues if they had something to announce that would benefit Queenslanders.

“If the prime minister or a federal minister are putting on the table an initiative, a policy, funding for Queensland that benefits Queensland, of course we will,” he said.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott has so far been absent from the campaign and is now on holiday, raising questions about whether he will be available to attend Mr Newman’s campaign launch.

Popular Foreign Minister Julie Bishop, however, is expected to have a prominent role and could hit the hustings to support some candidates.

According to the Galaxy results, 29 per cent of Queenslanders say they are less likely to support the LNP because of the performance of the Abbott Government. One in 10 indicated they were more likely to support the LNP, while 58 per cent said federal factors would not influence their decision.

Election signage on Samford-Wardell intersection. Picture: Adam Head

The Galaxy poll also reveals the Newman Government is battling against significant expectations that they will win.

The LNP holds 73 of 89 seats going into the 2015 election but has only a slender lead in opinion polls.

Galaxy found 57 per cent of voters believe the LNP will win, while 34 per cent believe Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk will lead her team to victory.

Mr Newman has repeatedly moved to distance himself from his federal Coalition colleagues after last week – the first week of Mr Newman’s campaign – several chose to publicly back a GST on fresh food and essential services, such as education.

The Premier had earlier declared the difference of opinion between his Government and the Commonwealth over the GST was proof the State Government was “sovereign and independent of the federal Coalition”.

State Treasurer Tim Nicholls also had to speak out after Trade Minister Andrew Robb backed broadening the GST on Friday.

“The LNP Government does not support broadening or increasing the GST in any way,” Mr Nicholls said. “We are working to reduce the cost of living for Queenslanders, and this means not increasing taxes.

“We have continually said that what’s important for all governments is that we make the current system work as efficiently as possible.”

LNP senior figures are livid with their Canberra counterparts for enlivening the debate about broadening and increasing the GST during the Queensland election.

“They haven’t put any thought into it at all,” one senior party figure told The Courier-Mail.

“It is a distraction he does not need in the early days.

“They aren’t using their common sense.”

Originally published as The Abbott Government is proving detrimental to Campbell Newman’s election hopes