Queensland Election 2017: Bill Shorten to miss Labor launch
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s great mates with Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten. But he won’t be at the ALP’s campaign launch on the Gold Coast.
QLD Election
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PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says she’s great mates with Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten and there is nothing sinister behind him missing the ALP’s campaign launch on the Gold Coast.
Mr Shorten has thrown his support behind former NSW premier Kristina Keneally who he recruited for the Bennelong by-election in Sydney.
Ms Palaszczuk said Mr Shorten has already made his presence felt during the Queensland election campaign, but “we’re yet to see (Prime Minister) Malcolm Turnbull with (Opposition Leader) Tim Nicholls” ahead of the November 25 election.
The Premier spent her last Saturday before next weekend’s election announcing a $30 million pledge towards improving boating infrastructure if re-elected.
Ms Palaszczuk said the ALP had already spent a similar amount on the state’s waterways over the past two years to improve experiences for the owners of 260,000 registered vessels.
“We have to ensure our infrastructure keeps up with demand,” she said.
About the same time Ms Palaszczuk was making the announcement her rival Tim Nicholls made a similar pledge at his press conference at Victoria Point.
Ms Palaszczuk finished her morning by strolling through the Jan Power’s Markets at Manly which is in the safe Labor seat of Lytton, where she bought a jar of honey and chatted to locals.
LNP COMMITS $65m TO DEFENCE, WATERWAYS
LNP leader Tim Nicholls said his rival Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was committed to the “mother of all scare campaigns”, while he’s released more than 100 policies ahead of the November 25 election.
Mr Nicholls on Saturday made another $65 million in pledges after promising to improve marine infrastructure ($30 million), which includes building artificial reefs, and assist local defence industries ($35 million).
“She’s made ludicrous claims about LNP smear campaigns with no evidence. She’s made ludicrous claims about deals with no evidence. It’s the mother of all fear campaigns,” Mr Nicholls told reporters.
ONE NATION HELPS ALP PROSPECTS
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk may cling to power on the back of One Nation preferences, a new poll shows.
The poll of six key seats by The Australian newspaper today shows Labor is ahead on a two-party preferred basis in Ipswich West, Mansfield and Whitsunday, and with the potential to pick up Gaven, where the ALP’s primary vote has risen from 28.6 per cent in January 2015 to 43 per cent.
Labor is ahead in Mansfield after a collapse in the LNP vote from 45.5 per cent in January 2015 to 37 per cent.
One Nation is polling 29 per cent in Ipswich West, 28 per cent in Thuringowa and 21 per cent in Bundaberg.
The poll also found Queensland voters are divided over the Adani coalmine, with voters in the north supportive of the project while voters in the southeast remain opposed.
GLOVES COME OFF FOR PALASZCZUK, NICHOLLS
LNP Leader Tim Nicholls has accused Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk of lying as the gloves officially come off ahead of the final week of the election campaign.
Mr Nicholls had promised a positive campaign but today he stepped up his attack on Ms Palaszczuk.
It came after the Premier too stepped up her attack on him today over Mr Nicholls’ refusal to rule out a deal with One Nation in order to form government with the minor party’s supply should voters deliver another hung parliament.
“I started this campaign and I said I would run a campaign of hope and optimism,” Mr Nicholls said before accusing Ms Palaszczuk of lying.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk in this campaign has lied about secret deals. In this term in Parliament she has lied about the changes to the voting system. She has lied about paying down debt. She has lied whenever it has suited her for her political purposes as she has lied about the Carmichael mine and putting at risk the thousands and thousands of jobs of Queenslanders.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk will say and do anything to protect just one job and that’s hers.”
When challenged on whether he had ever lied to Queenslanders, Mr Nicholls responded: “I have done my absolute best to always uphold my word to Queensland and when I have made mistakes I have always admitted to it and stood up and said I have made my mistakes”.
Mr Nicholls visited two electorates today, the marginal LNP-held seat of Redlands and the marginal Labor-held seat of Pine Rivers to make two announcements, $30 million for marine infrastructure and $35 million to support advanced manufacturing.
OFFENDER HIRED: PREMIER UNAWARE OF NO CHECKS
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk says she didn’t know electoral office staff did not have background checks before working for MPs.
She was speaking after The Courier-Mail this morning revealed a man with a criminal record for child pornography was employed by Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman’s electoral office.
Speaking in Manly this morning, Ms Palaszczuk said Parliament Clerk Neil Laurie will now vet all electoral staff employed under him.
Ms Palaszczuk said the revelations by The Courier-Mail this morning were greatly concerning.
“That is a matter for the Clerk and I understand the Clerk has now instituted criminal history checks for the employment of all electorate staff,” she said.
“Electorate staff are employed by the Clerk of the Parliament.
“No one wants to see that happening in any workplace so now the Clerk of the Parliament has taken strict actin..”
NICHOLLS RETURNS TO BAYSIDE BATTLEGROUND
LNP Leader Tim Nicholls has returned to the Redlands electorate for the second weekend in a row as the party battles to hold on to the bayside seat it holds with a margin of just 1.2 per cent.
Mr Nicholls has announced $30 million for marine infrastructure including boat ramps, floating walkways and artificial reefs.
Originally published as Queensland Election 2017: Bill Shorten to miss Labor launch
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