Editorial: Palaszczuk now following pacesetter Deb’s lead

Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plan for a “second Bruce Highway” is a risky move because it gives the impression that Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington is now the pacesetter of this campaign and the Premier is following her lead, writes THE EDITOR.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s plan for a “second Bruce Highway” is an intriguing pivot given Labor has spent the past three weeks denigrating the Opposition’s long-term proposal to convert the Bruce Highway into a four-lane motorway from Gympie to Cairns.

Regardless of the merits or otherwise of the proposal itself, this is a potentially risky move by Ms Palaszczuk because it gives the impression that Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington is now the pacesetter of this campaign – and the Premier is following her lead.

It also indicates that Labor is concerned that it has not been able to shift the electoral needle in the direction it needs in the regions despite dominating the first fortnight of the campaign.

And it shows, again, the cynical nature of this campaign. To fund their inland highway, Labor has proposed the same 80:20 funding split with the federal government that it has been mocking the LNP for pursuing for its highway plan.

As The Courier-Mail’s state affairs editor Steven Wardill wrote yesterday, voters are being assaulted with an array of mistruths by the major and minor parties at this election – and things have only got worse this week as pre-poll stations opened to huge queues.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk during a visit to the Port of Townsville. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Parties seeding mistruths that play to a stereotype is an unfortunate feature of modern campaigning. We saw it in 2016 with federal Labor’s appalling yet successful MediScare campaign. And we are seeing it again in this state election over the claims being made about taxes and cuts. Spreading mistruths makes it more difficult for voters to determine what is real and what is not. This is unfortunate.

The best advice we can give Queenslanders is that they should engage with this election and investigate properly the policy details covered in their trusted media source and on the party websites instead of believing the advertising scare campaigns.

Queenslanders should also know that it remains their right to vote at any point they would like right up until 6pm on the official polling day itself; next Saturday, October 31.

The Electoral Commission has opened additional pre-poll venues – and extended opening hours – to cater for those who would prefer to vote early. But Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young has repeatedly insisted that it is safe to vote on election day if proper social distancing protocols are followed.

Queensland opposition leader Deb Frecklington. Picture: Brendan Radke

And perhaps it is worth waiting – because what is clear from the behaviour of the major parties is that they think this election is far from over, despite polling suggesting the statewide vote is in Labor’s favour. Most incumbents in post-COVID elections so far have cruised to victory, but both parties believe this is still a close contest in the few seats that will decide the next government. Labor’s big highway promise yesterday showed that, as did Deb Frecklington’s heavy-handed proposal for a youth curfew plan in crime-riddled north Queensland.

Another sign of how close this contest could turn out to be can be found in the efforts by Deputy Premier Steven Miles to persuade people to vote now, rather than wait until election day itself. Mr Miles did so in the context of accusing Ms Frecklington of being “arrogant” for having not yet released her policy costings. But that was an unnecessary comment that could spook some people out of voting at all, which is the worst outcome in a democracy that values every vote.

Originally published as Editorial: Palaszczuk now following pacesetter Deb’s lead