Queensland election 2017: Live coverage of campaigning
LABOR’S MP Jo-Ann Miller has openly campaigned next to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson. But Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she is not concerned by Ms Miller’s actions.
QLD Election
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LABOR’S Jo-Ann Miller has openly campaigned next to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson in Ipswich in a stunning rebuke to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk who has point blank refused to do any deals with One Nation.
Ms Miller, who has often gone rogue on the ALP, took her independent streak a step higher as she made a public show of her support for the One Nation leader.
It comes on the heels of One Nation Queensland leader Steve Dickson publicly signing a declaration saying One Nation would work with any party to ensure “positive and prosperous’’ outcomes for the state.
Senator Hanson turned up at Ms Miller’s campaign tent early on Tuesday afternoon in what was a pre-arranged publicity stunt, slightly dampened by a massive downpour which suddenly opened up.
“We’re all battlers together out here,’’ Ms Miller said.
“When it’s pouring rain, we’re all under the marque together.’’
Ms Miller said she was not concerned what Labor Party hierarchy might think of her stunt.
“I have worked on bipartisan committees in the Parliament before so it’s all good.’’
Malcolm Roberts, who is running as One Nation candidate for the seat of Ipswich, said Ms Miller was much admired by his party because she was “not cowed by the party hacks.’’
Mr Roberts said Ms Miller has tackled corruption in Ipswich local government and had stood up for workers impacted by black lung disease in the mining industry.
When first told of the meeting, Ms Palaszczuk said she was “not very happy” but after “getting the facts” the Premier said Ms Miller was simply being “nice”.
Responding to images of Ms Miller handing Senator Hanson a gift for the birth of her grandson, Ms Palaszczuk said: “Let’s not all jump to conclusions here, there’s nothing wrong with being nice.
“I don’t think there is anything wrong during this election campaign about people being nice. “Let me make it clear Jo-Ann Miller was even quoted in The Australian today, she knows my clear views and the party’s clear views about no deals with One Nation full stop,” she said.
‘IF YOU’RE THINKING ONE NATION, I SUGGEST A RE-THINK’
Opposition leader Tim Nicholls was dogged by questions on governing with One Nation, even as he took aim at the party’s “unfunded and empty” policies.
While he has previously referred to some of their policies as “loopy”, he ramped up the rhetoric at his Queensland Media Club address on Tuesday.
He said the resurgent protest party’s election promises had now topped $18 billion.
“People thinking of voting for One Nation would or should be horrified to learn that under their plan, debt will increase and fees, taxes and charges must rise,” Mr Nicholls said.
“If you’re thinking of voting One Nation, I suggest you rethink, because you’re being led down the garden path by irresponsible candidates who have no idea what they’re doing, let alone the experience in delivering.”
After this morning “passing” on a yes or no question on FM radio about working with One Nation, Mr Nicholls said he did not expect a hung parliament after Saturday.
“I don’t think there will be. I don’t think there will be because I believe the bulk of Queenslanders want change,” he said.
But he was able to take advantage of Pauline Hanson and Ms Miller being photographed together in Bundamba, despite Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s repeated statement that there will be no deals with One Nation.
“Jo-Ann Miller has been one of the most vocal critics of her own government and has been so again today,” Mr Nicholls said.
“(Ms Palaszczuk) is being undermined by her own backbench and backbench members.
“It just goes to show the complete lie being peddled by Labor in relation to any form of deals or arrangements with One Nation when you look at what’s going on with Jo-Ann Miller and Pauline Hanson in Bundamba.”
The Opposition leader has dropped his initial campaign plan of remaining focused on a positive message and blasted Labor for “backstabbing and disunity” in its ranks, referring to outbursts Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller and leaks against Treasurer Curtis Pitt.
“The only conclusion that voters can draw is that Labor itself is far more unstable, untrustworthy, divided and rudderless than any of the fake chaos they try to scare Queenslanders about,” he said.
Mr Nicholls pointed to an Infrastructure Australia report which stated Cross River Rail was not needed until 2026, when asked about his commitment to the multi-billion project.
“We’ve said all along a second rail crossing across the Brisbane River is going to be required,” he said.
“The infrastructure Australia report says it’s not required until 2026 and it’s a matter of prioritising where your funds go.”
He again said there would be no asset sales under a Nicholls-led Government.
“My position on it has been pretty clear. For me, it’s off the table,” he said.
Mr Nicholls also reiterated there would be no forced redundancies.
“I don’t think there’s any one size fits all. You have to meet the needs of the growing population and meet the needs of the economy,” he said.
Mr Nicholls said debt under the LNP would be less than the $81 billion projected under Labor.
“The debt under us will be less,” he said.
“But we’re not going to be cutting off our noses to spite our faces. It’s creating jobs, creating prosperity in the economy and growing the economy over time that is going to make a difference in our capacity to pay down debt.”
He said the fiscal focus should be on total government debt, not just general government debt, which leaves out government-owned companies.
“It is the total debt that the state owes that every taxpayer in Queensland is on the hook for,” he said.
“Loading up the GOCs, particularly the electricity generators, with more debt and insisting they pay 100 per cent dividends means they’ve got less money to reinvest in the capital infrastructure.
“Someone will have to pay that bill, the government will have to borrow to do it and your power bill will increase because the more debt they carry, the more interest they have to be and there’s only one place they get that money from and that’s in your power bill.
HANSON: ‘ONE SEAT IS GOING TO BE A BIG WIN FOR US’
PAULINE Hanson will be happy if her party can claim a single Queensland seat, but she believes One Nation will do better than that.
Senator Hanson, who’s back on the campaign trail ahead of Saturday’s poll, has refused to put a number on how many seats her candidates might win.
“I think even just to win one seat is going to be a big win for us. I personally think we’ll win more than that,” she’s told reporters in Brisbane.
She again called Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk arrogant for refusing to work with One Nation.
Senator Hanson was back on the “Battler Bus’’ at Brisbane Airport after welcoming Nate – her fifth grandchild but not her last.
“I’ve told her she has to give me a granddaughter,’’ she said of daughter Lee who had her second child this week.
Ms Hanson said both mum and daughter were doing well but both had a “bit of a rough night.’’
“Nothing serious though, they are both fine.’’
PREMIER: BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU WISHED FOR
PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit back at rogue Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller who claimed voters don’t like preferential voting by saying she voted for it in Parliament.
With Ms Palaszczuk pressed on a number of Ms Miller’s comments on morning radio today, she refused to be drawn, instead talking about a LNP coalition with One Nation.
When asked about whether she thought that bringing in preferential voting would backfire on her following the election, Ms Palaszczuk simply replied: “All of the members of Parliament voted on it.”
Responding to Ms Miller’s claims that she wasn’t confident of winning the election, Ms Palaszczuk said she believed she was “underdog.”
“I think we are the underdog, I honestly do, I am going to work my guts out every day, I am going to three regional cities today, I know how important all of this state is for the election,” she said.
It comes as Ms Palaszczuk was left red-faced after she announced an identical $3.6 million policy in Mackay to what the LNP announced last week.
Despite continuing to tell voters there is a “clear choice” between Labor and the LNP, Ms Palaszczuk was unable to identify any differences in the two promises, instead saying her government had been working on the announcement for “some time.”
“It is something that I am absolutely 100 percent committed to, I want to see more jobs, more apprentices in Mackay and that is what my team will focus on. It is really important we keep Jim Pearce, Julianne Gilbert and get Brownyn Taha in the seat of Whitsunday,” she said.
NICHOLLS FAILS TO ANSWER SIMPLE ‘YES OR NO’ QUESTION
TIM Nicholls has again struggled to answer yes or no to a question on whether he would accept One Nation’s support to form Government.
He answered “pass” when quizzed live on breakfast radio this morning.
It comes after the LNP Leader struggled to answer yes or no to the same question at last week’s Sky News/Courier-Mail People’s Forum.
.@TimNichollsMP gave a very diplomatic answer to whether the LNP would form govt with One Nation. #SmarterThanSuse #qldpol #qldvotes pic.twitter.com/8iRHkf4a2g
— Ash, Kip & Luttsy (@AshKipAndLuttsy) November 20, 2017
He was jeered by the crowd and ended up losing the debate to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, with 60 per cent of the audience saying they would be more inclined to vote Labor following the event.
LABOR MP NOT CONFIDENT OF LABOR ELECTION WIN
REBEL Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller said she was not confident of Labor winning the election this Saturday, as she defended her record as Police Minister.
She also took aim at her government’s move to reintroduce compulsory preference voting, while declaring she “did not get” why Adani should get a coal mine.
Ms Miller said she was not counting on a Labor victory on Saturday.
“I’m not that confident. I think that we are the underdog,” she told 612ABC this morning.
“We probably won’t even know on Saturday the outcome of the election.
“In my own heart I can’t predict the outcome of the election.”
She said she knew they would “probably” win in 2015 and lose in 2012, but said voters were playing their cards close to their chest this time around.
“They are giving no indication whatsoever which way they are voting,” Ms Miller said.
Ms Miller said “only time would tell” how the return of the compulsory preferential voting system would impact the election.
“It’s like a new system for Queensland this voting system and One Nation is back in the field,” she said.
“Certainly in my electorate they don’t like it. They’ve made it very clear to me, but we’ve had to go with it.
“Perhaps the new Parliament will have a review of the preferential voting system and see how it actually went.”
In December 2015 Ms Miller was dumped as Police Minister following an ethics committee report which found a “pattern of reckless conduct”, but yesterday said she had not made mistakes in the role.
“I don’t think that there was a mistake. I’m very proud of the fact that I stood up against corruption in Ipswich City Council,” she said.
“I think that was a very brave move by me to do so. I’ve been talking about corruption in Ipswich for a long time.
“I think it was a mistake of the party to not believe me.”
But she said she “probably would” take up a frontbench position again if she was offered one in the event of a Labor win on Saturday.
On the topic of the Adani mine she said the Indian company should be buying coal off existing mine operators, rather than setting up its own infrastructure.
“I can’t understand why they want to build their own mine, it just does my head in to be quite frank,” Ms Miller said.
“They can buy coal off the existing coal mine operators in Queensland.
“We have had a downturn in the mining industry. If they want to buy coal off the existing operators... that means the existing operators can put on more coal miners, they can reboot their coal mines and everyone’s a winner.
“I just don’t get why they have to have their own mine.”
Originally published as Queensland election 2017: Live coverage of campaigning
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