Queensland Election 2017: Des Houghton congratulates the Premier
CONGRATULATIONS Annastacia. Now there are two words I didn’t think I would be writing this election campaign, writes Des Houghton.
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CONGRATULATIONS ANNASTACIA. WHAT A LAUGH
HERE are two words I didn’t think I would be writing this election campaign: Congratulations Annastacia!
This week the Premier set the scene for the best one-liner of the campaign so far.
It happened when she claimed the LNP had a secret plan (Shock! Horror!) to sell off state assets.
“It’s so secret I don’t even know about it,” scoffed Opposition leader Tim Nicholls.
Palaszczuk was naive to raise the issue. It was fake news. And it showed us Nicholls has a sense of humour.
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Palaszczuk produced no evidence and simply highlighted her own hypocrisy on asset sales. She was a loyal Cabinet minister in the Bligh government that sold regional airports, the Port of Brisbane, Queensland Motorways, Abbot Point coal terminal, a timber plantation, some Queensland Rail assets and even a wind farm. The fire sale reaped $15 billion.
I suspect asset sales is no longer much of an issue with voters.
No one except union fact cats give two hoots who owns ports, airports or the poles and wires that carry out electricity. Nevertheless the thought of assets sales are a red rag to unions like the ETU whose sinecures will be lost if the government-owned energy corporations are sold.
That is why the ETU, and others, ran a torrid — and largely successful campaign — to oust Campbell Newman at the last election.
GOING FOR THE DOCTOR?
THERE is a bit of soul searching inside One Nation. The party and several candidates do not believe their titular Parliamentary leader Steve Dickson can hold the seat Buderim in the November 25 poll. You may assume that Dicko’s deputy Sam Cox would be a shoe in if he steals Burdekin from the LNP’s Dale Last.
No so. I’m told Nicklin One Nation candidate Steven Ford, whose family roots in the area stretch back to the 1890s, is ambitious.
So, too, is Dr Jane Truscott, the One Nation candidate in Bundaberg who this week completed her law degree.
I met Truscott recently and she is an impressive person with a PhD in health, an MBA and a teaching qualification.
She was born in Colorado in the US and had dual citizenship.
Bundaberg is held by Labor’s Leanne Donaldson on a margin of 0.5 per cent. Donaldson was dumped from the Palaszczuk ministry and will struggle to hold the seat.
Truscott won’t rule out a leadership bid should Dickson fail.
“There is a degree of uncertainty for everyone,” she told me.
Leadership? “Yes I would entertain that. But my focus right now is on winning Bundaberg.”
Originally published as Queensland Election 2017: Des Houghton congratulates the Premier
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