Editorial: Sad moment our deputy apparent stooped to Trumpian lows

Jarrod Bleijie has returned fire at Steven Miles with a barrage of personal attacks more becoming a playground bully, writes the editor.

Deputy Opposition Leader Jarrod Bleijie addresses the LNP campaign launch on Sunday. Picture: Liam Kidston

This has been a sadly unbecoming election campaign for both major parties, and for both leaders.

It is a political tragedy that we have had a desperate race to the bottom of the scare campaign barrel instead of a contest of ideas for the future of our state – right when it is most needed.

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Electoral contests are at their best when the combatants are playing the ball and not the person.

Sadly, our political leaders here in Queensland have taken a leaf out of the vitriol we see too often in the US presidential contest.

It began when LNP deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie refused an invitation from The Courier-Mail to front up and debate his opposite number Cameron Dick. Mr Bleijie’s excuse was that he is “not in the business of debating losers”.

We saw it last week most notably when Premier Steven Miles stooped to say of Opposition Leader David Crisafulli that he is a “very deceitful person” running a campaign that is based on lies.

And then came yesterday’s LNP campaign launch – where the party faithful watched as Mr Bleijie returned fire with a barrage of personal attacks on Mr Miles more suited to a playground bully than the man most likely to be deputy premier in a week from today. Mr Bleijie’s name-calling included “Stuff-up Steven”, “Stevo the Socialist” and “Dr Giggles”.

It is all very Trumpian – which is surely a political stratagem that none of us wants imported here.

The seeds for this were sown in the first week of the campaign, when a number of the unions that have benefited from a decade of access to power launched postcard scare campaigns accusing the LNP of secret plans to privatise public health care or to “sell off” the local public hospital. These claims were, of course, absolute codswallop – but there is no legislated requirement for truth in political advertising in Queensland (despite some talk of it after a remarkably similar Labor tactic in the 1995 state election).

The LNP countered by claiming the government planned a “patient tax” through not exempting GP clinics from payroll tax changes. Labor has called that a lie, but has also since promised the exemption.

Then came the grenade launched by the Katter’s Australian Party’s vow to introduce a private member’s bill to overturn abortion laws – a vow Labor cleverly latched on to, to wedge Mr Crisafulli; he cannot rule out allowing a conscience vote on that issue, as to do so would risk a violent backlash against him from the vocal conservatives in the LNP.

Mr Crisafulli’s necessary dodging of that question since is what has led an increasingly desperate Premier to go personal on Friday – to play the man and not the ball, and so sowing the seeds for Mr Bleijie’s juvenile name-calling at yesterday’s official LNP campaign launch.

It is all such a shame, and also a stark contrast to last year’s NSW state election campaign that was celebrated for its civility – where the debate was over policy rather than personality.

Mr Crisafulli’s best line on policy yesterday was that “Queenslanders can vote for a fresh LNP team promising to deal with bullies and break-and-enters, or a chaotic Labor Party promising to borrow for bolognese and burgers”.

This is the sort of word play that should be a feature of an election campaign fought where it should be; on the differences in the policy approaches from both sides.

Sadly, Mr Bleijie stooped to the level of a bully himself yesterday – in response to Mr Miles, sure. But considering the infamous history of the last LNP state government, Mr Bleijie would be well advised to avoid any echoes of the type of arrogance and aggression that saw the Newman Government turfed from office.

YOUTH CRIME LNP’S FOCUS

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli is smart, however, to have tried to turn the focus of the last week of the election campaign to what has been the defining political issue of the past few years: youth crime.

The danger of the necessary drip-feed of policy announcements during an election campaign is that voters do not hear or engage with part of it. And so “tying it in a bow”, as Mr Crisafulli is describing his approach, is a smart move.

He used his formal campaign launch event yesterday to unveil the final piece of his plan; a policy he calls “detention with purpose”.

Effectively what it means is that those children in youth detention are forced to engage in education while they are there, and that good behaviour is rewarded and poor behaviour – including any violence against staff – leads to punishment, including a minimum (yet to be defined) isolation period.

It is exactly the sort of approach that the vast majority of voters would agree with, and paired with the LNP’s other policies in this area it should prove popular.

And as a reminder to voters about the youth crime rate, it is also exactly what Mr Crisafulli and the LNP are wanting for this week.

The go-soft approach to youth justice in the early years of the Palaszczuk government fuelled the issue. Mr Crisafulli will want voters to punish Labor for it.

Responsibility for election comment is taken by Chris Jones, corner of Mayne Rd & Campbell St, Bowen Hills, Qld 4006. Printed and published by NEWSQUEENSLAND (ACN 009 661 778). Contact details here

Originally published as Editorial: Sad moment our deputy apparent stooped to Trumpian lows