Queensland election 2017: Rolling coverage of day 18 of the campaign

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has slapped down suggestions businesses could decide for themselves whether or not to discriminate against same sex couples wanting services for their weddings.

• New election threat looms
• Private emails reveal relationship with unions
• Labor plonks preferences willy-nilly

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has slapped down suggestions businesses could decide for themselves whether or not to discriminate against same sex couples wanting services for their weddings.

“We have anti-discrimination laws that should be abided by and it is absolutely imperative now that this decision has been made – that everyone respects the decision, because we believe in equality,” she said.

But Ms Palaszczuk said she believed Queenslanders would embrace the outcome of the vote.

“We live in a progressive modern state and a progressive modern nation and I firmly believe people across this state will embrace the nation’s decision,” she said.

“I think people are going to be lining up to make cakes.”

Ms Palaszczuk called on Malcolm Turnbull and Bill Shorten to work together to introduce the Bill.

“What I would call on the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader to do is for the Prime Minister to introduce this bill into the House of Representatives seconded by Opposition Leader,” she said.

“The will of the people is there. The public has spoken.”

Annastacia Palaszczuk: “I firmly believe people across this state will embrace the nation’s [same-sex marriage] decision.” The Premier pictured with students at Edge Hill State Primary School in Cairns yesterday. Picture: AAP/Darren England

ACT NOW ON GAY MARRIAGE, SAYS PALASZCZUK

THE Queensland premier says federal parliament must immediately enshrine in law Australia’s support for same-sex marriage.

“The decision by the majority of Australians to support marriage equality through their responses to the Turnbull Government’s $122 million postal survey should be heeded by the federal parliament and their will put into law,” Annastacia Palaszczuk said in a statement on Wednesday.

“My government recognised this truth when we restored civil partnership ceremonies, removed by the LNP government, in Queensland in 2015. We didn’t require a postal survey to do that.” LNP leader Tim Nicholls, who is vying to become premier at the November 25 election, said he voted yes and welcomed the survey result.

He said it was up to his federal colleagues in Canberra to take the next step and make same-sex marriage law.

“That’s their policy and I understand that’s the prime minister’s policy is to introduce the legislation, but it’s up to them,” he said when asked if he’d urge his federal colleagues to act.

Opposition leader Tim Nicholls: “I think all businesses will make their own decisions in relation to who they want to provide services for and it should be over to them to make those calls.” Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

Meanwhile, LNP leader Tim Nicholls has attempted to dodge questions on the vote results, saying it was up to businesses as to whether or not they want to serve gay couples.

Mr Nicholls would not be drawn on whether or not the “yes” vote winning the survey was a good result for Queensland, despite voting yes himself.

“I think the people have had the opportunity to register their opinion through the survey, now it’s up to the people in Canberra to make the decisions they need to make to follow through the policies that were put in place and what the government said they would do,” he said.

“What I have been saying consistently is get on with delivering for the people of Australia and that’s what they need to do.”

When asked on his stance in on the debate that florists and bakeries should be able to refuse service to gay couples getting married, Mr Nicholls was non-committal.

“I think all businesses will make their own decisions in relation to who they want to provide services for and it should be over to them to make those calls,” he said.

“I think the real issue there is the people who want to buy those cakes and buy those flowers will make a decision about where they can best go to get the services they want.”

Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman is joined by members of the Torres Strait community, (from left) Rose Elu (Elder), Ivy Trevallion (Elder), and ALP Candidate for Cook Cynthia Lui to make the announcement. Picture: Justin Brierty

PALASZCZUK BACKS INDIGENOUS ADOPTION LAWS

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk has promised to recognise traditional adoption in Torres Strait Island communities if re-elected on November 25.

Labor has set aside $1 million for the proposal, which acknowledges the continuous cultural practice in Torres Strait Island families. The cultural practice usually refers to the permanent transfer of a child from one family member to another, or a close family friend.

“These practises have meant generations of loving, caring homes but these extended family relationships have not been fully recognised by Australian law in the same way as Western Adoption,” Communities Minister Shannon Fentiman said.

Legal recognition will be based on three things: consent of both birth parents, suitability of the adoptive parents, and the rights and best interests of the child.

– David Sigston AAP

LNP TARGETS FERAL PIGS IN PANAMA DISEASE BATTLE

A COMPREHENSIVE wild pig management system would be introduced to stop the spread of Panama Disease in North Queensland under a LNP Government.

Leader Tim Nicholls today announced the $3 million policy that would see the wild pigs baited, trapped and shot to stop the spread of the disease that has crippled two North Queensland banana farms.

Queensland produces 90 per cent of Australia’s bananas and it is a $600 million industry.

Leader Tim Nicholls said pigs had been identified as a major carrier of the Panama disease, making it essential they were contained before they made it onto the crops.

“Feral pigs are a known vector of the disease, they spread it, they love the mud, they love mucking around in the mud, they move the mud around and that’s how the disease spreads from farm to farm,” he said.

A Tully banana farm was identified to have been infected with the Panama disease in 2015 and was subsequently bought out by the federal government.

Another Tully farm has since been identified to have the disease.

Mr Nicholls said the management program would be controlled by a contractor.

Feral pigs are a major problem throughout Far North Queensland. This sounder of swine was spotted near Mission Beach.

TEAM NICHOLLS CLARIFIES YOUTH DETENTION POLICY

THE LNP has been forced to hurriedly clarify their new youth justice detention policy after leader Tim Nicholls said 17-year-old murderers would be housed in new medium security facilities.

Speaking in Cairns this morning to announce the construction of two new medium security “reintegration centres” for 17 to 15-year-old youth offenders if the LNP wins, Mr Nicholls said he expected 17-year-olds convicted of murder would be housed in the new facility before being moved to a maximum security jail.

A LNP spokesman later clarified however it would not be the case.

“Under the current system they will still be dealt with under the youth justice system as a 17-year-old which is the law as it stands at the moment,” Mr Nicholls said.

“Obviously the recommendations of the sentencing judge will take impact, someone who is convicted of murder gets life imprisonment.”

Mr Nicholls said the two new centres would be built near Cairns and southeast Queensland to take the strain of the two current youth detention centres.

ONE NATION’S NEW SAFE SCHOOLS CLAIM

THE One Nation candidate taking on Queensland Environment Minister Steven Miles has accused him of pushing a school program “designed by open supporters of peadophilia (sic)”.

One Nation candidate Scott Dare. Picture: Annette Dew

Scott Dare, who’s taking on Dr Miles in Murrumba, has used a Facebook post to accuse the minister and his Labor government of supporting the controversial anti-bullying Safe Schools program, which he suggested created gender confusion.

“Why are they supporting and implementing a program that was designed by open supporters of peadophilia (sic)?” he wrote in a post on Monday.

“Miles and the ALP believe that kids should be taught there is no such thing as being born a boy or a girl, but you are gender neutral until you get older and can decide if you’d like to be a boy or a girl.”

Neither Labor nor the LNP support funding Safe Schools, with federal funds for the program running out earlier this year. Individual schools have been left to decide if it is appropriate for them, and to find the money for it.

Mr Dare’s post was made on the same day One Nation’s Queensland leader Steve Dickson issued an apology after he said Safe Schools was teaching primary school students to masturbate.

“We are having little kids in grade four at school, young girls being taught by teachers how to masturbate, how to strap on dildos, how to do this sort of stuff that is the real problem in this country,” Mr Dickson claimed.

One Nation State Leader Steve Dickson. Picture: Lachie Millard

He later apologised if the “specific words” he used caused any offence and said he didn’t mean to upset teachers, but again railed against Safe Schools, saying it was not an anti-bullying program.

“It contains highly explicit material directed at young children in their most formative years, without their parents or guardians knowledge or consent.” Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has already said Safe Schools is not taught in Queensland classrooms.

The program’s stated aim is to help schools foster a safe environment that is supportive and inclusive of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender students.

MARGINAL SEATS WOULD SUFFER FROM ADANI: STUDY

A NUMBER of marginal electorates in Queensland coal country would suffer if the proposed Adani coal mine is given the go-ahead, a study has found.

The report by The Australia Institute said the mine would have a negative impact on coal mines in the Bowen and Surat Basins.

“Seats with something to lose from Adani development include Whitsunday, Burdekin, Mirani and Keppel — all marginal seats,” The Australia Institute’s Ben Oquist said.

PREMIER WRAPS UP FIVE-DAY BLITZ

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk will head back to the Whitsunday electorate today as she ends a five-day blitz of North Queensland electorates.

Ms Palaszczuk will focus on tourism and cyclone recovery in the electorate Labor is attempting to wrest from the LNP.

LNP MP Jason Costigan holds the seat with a margin of less than one per cent.

Originally published as Queensland election 2017: Rolling coverage of day 18 of the campaign