Queensland election 2017: Leaders trade conspiracy theories
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has claimed a secret plan to sell assets while Tim Nicholls questioned whether there was a move to keep the LNP grounded.
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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has resorted to a Bill Shorten-style scare campaign over asset sales claiming the LNP have a secret privatisation plan while having no evidence to support it.
The Premier also attacked Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls for ignoring regional Queensland during the first two days on the hustings even though a shortage of appropriate planes has been blamed for keeping him grounded.
Ms Palaszczuk’s two-pronged assault came as her campaign has struggled to remain on message despite commitments to employ additional nurses and create jobs.
Adani protesters have haunted the Premier’s press events while she was unable to say how much debt her Government had paid down using dividends.
Ms Palaszczuk managed to avoid the protestors yesterday during a campaign stop in Townsville but was still forced to field questions on the mine.
Her privatisation allegation will draw comparisons with Mr Shorten’s “Mediscare” campaign during the 2015 Federal election which was credited with nearly winning the election.
It also has similarities to former premier Campbell Newman’s infamous accusations during 2015 that Labor was funded by outlaw bikies when he told people to “Google it” when asked to produce evidence.
Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls poked fun at the Premier’s privatisation claim, saying the plan was so secret that even he didn’t know about it.
During a terse exchange with journalists in Townsville, Ms Palaszczuk levelled the accusation about asset sales while she defended her record on debt.
“I tell you what, they still have a secret plan to sell assets,” the Premier said.
Asked repeatedly what evidence she had to support her claim, Ms Palaszczuk responded “well he went to the last election saying he was going to do that and I would not put anything past him.”
“You cannot trust a man who went to the last election wanting to sell our public assets”.
Mr Nicholls described the Ms Palaszczuk’s claims as “tin foil hat stuff” and drew a comparison with former premier Anna Bligh accusation against Mr Newman in 2012.
“It’s so secret even I don’t know about it. That’s how secret the secret plan is,” he said. “There is no plan to sell or lease assets.
“If she had one piece of proof she would be putting it out there. This is just like Anna Bligh back in 2012.”
Mr Nicholls’ camp has blamed the lack of planes and the tight $340,000 election travel budget for his inability to travel to the regions in the first few days of the campaign.
It is understood one plane was available but it would cost $100,000 a day.
Mr Nicholls has campaigned in southeast Queensland seats including Mount Ommaney and Lockyer, where the LNP faces challenges from Labor and One Nation respectively.
“There’s just not planes available,” he said.
“Whether that’s part of the Government’s plan or not, whether it’s part of their secret plan to nobble the Opposition, that will be up to them to answer.”
Asked about the LNP’s predicament, Ms Palaszczuk said: “That’s a matter for him.”
“If you don’t understand regional Queensland, you don’t understand Queensland, pure and simple,” she said.
The negative attacks on Mr Nicholls are a deliberate strategy by Labor to counter any small target campaign the LNP is hoping to run in a bid to win government.
Labor adopted a small target approach in 2015 and eventually won power with the help of Independent MP Peter Wellington.
It is understood Labor’s research has shown voters are still unsure of who Mr Nicholls is and the party is attempting to define him over his time as Mr Newman’s treasurer.
Originally published as Queensland election 2017: Leaders trade conspiracy theories
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