Queensland election 2017: Premier loses trust, but voters back loan decision

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has suffered a sharp decline in trust over her mishandled decision to veto a federal loan for Adani’s central Queensland rail line.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has suffered a loss of trust. Picture: Tracey Nearmy/AAP

ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has suffered a sharp decline in trust over her mishandled decision to veto a Federal loan for Adani’s central Queensland rail line.

However, a Courier-Mail Galaxy poll has revealed that Queenslanders across the voting spectrum strongly oppose public money being channelled to the Indian miner, in a fillip for the Labor campaign.

The Premier’s quest to be re-elected ran off the rails in the first week when she suddenly announced Labor would use State powers to prevent Adani receiving the loan because of a conflict of interest involving her partner Shaun Drabsch.

She later amended the motivation behind the veto decision, saying it was to keep a 2015 election promise not to allow the mine public money, even though the Government had previously insisted the Federal loan didn’t contravene Labor’s commitment.

The loan was to come from the $5 billion Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility that was established by the Federal Government to help kickstart major economic opportunities and create new jobs.

Labor’s messy move over the loan, which included an unsubstantiated claim by Ms Palaszczuk that the LNP planned to smear her over the conflict of interest – Mr Drabsch being a consultant on the loan application – has sparked widespread cynicism among Queenslanders.

The exclusive poll has revealed 47 per cent of voters were less likely to trust the Queensland Premier while 31 per cent said her handling of Adani would not influence their decision on November 25.

Ms Palaszczuk’s trust deficit was biggest among LNP and One Nation supporters at 67 per cent and 73 per cent respectively, voters that Labor is eagerly trying to win over to secure a second term.

“Annastacia Palaszczuk is suffering from a lack of trust following her handling of the Adani mine project and this is likely to cost the Labor Party votes at next week’s state election,” Galaxy pollster David Briggs said.

The poll of more than 1000 voters from across Queensland also found that 42 per cent were now less likely to back Labor because of its handling of the Adani mine issue while 37 per cent indicated it would have no impact.

With Labor now straddling both sides of the Adani issue – supporting the mega-coal mine but not Federal funds to connect the project to its port – Ms Palaszczuk is at risk of losing backing from both sides of the debate.

However scuppering the loan was the correct decision, according most Queenslanders regardless of which party they support.

Overall, 55 per cent opposed the loan while only 28 supported it.

One Nation voters were the most stridently opposed, at 60 per cent, followed by Labor at 55 per cent and LNP at 45 per cent.

Ms Palaszczuk’s veto decision leaves the LNP as the only party that supports the $1 billion loan with One Nation, Katter’s Australian Party and the Greens all opposed.

Originally published as Queensland election 2017: Premier loses trust, but voters back loan decision