Editor’s view: Crisafulli’s backflip an insult to voters

David Crisafulli reneging on one of the key promises of his campaign – on the eve of election day – smacks of arrogance, writes the editor.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli. Picture: Liam Kidston

David Crisafulli reneging on one of the key promises of his campaign – on the eve of election day knowing a third of Queenslanders have already voted – smacks of arrogance.

It is a criticism that has been levelled at the Opposition Leader from the start of this campaign.

In an extraordinary backflip yesterday, Mr Crisafulli added fuel to that fire as he revealed his pledge to reduce crime victim numbers and elective surgery waitlists would now be tied to Queensland’s population growth.

His standout moment of the campaign was during the first leaders’ debate in week one when he sensationally vowed, during a live televised debate, not to seek a second term in 2028 if he failed to bring down crime victim numbers.

He said there was no caveat.

Ironically, it was the most direct he has been on any issue.

“It’s victim numbers, it’s not the number of unique offences and what happens on a Wednesday,” he said. “If there aren’t fewer victims, you won’t be seeing me.”

It was emphatic and also a swipe at Labor’s tendency to shift the goalposts with data sets.

He said the same with elective surgery waitlists – even going as far to say the doubling of the list from 30,000 to 61,000 in 10 years was “not population growth, that’s a system in crisis”.

More than 1.2 million Queenslanders out of the 3.68 million registered to vote have cast their ballot already. Mr Crisafulli’s backflip on crime and health numbers is strategic.

Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli. Picture: Liam Kidston.

Firstly, plenty of people have already voted so his about-face has no impact on their decision.

Secondly he can’t now be accused of waiting until after he was elected to reveal this new, significant caveat. The ease with which Mr Crisafulli changed his tune yesterday reflects an arrogance of a man well ahead in the polls.

But that is not the case anymore as both YouGov polling revealed in last week’s Saturday Courier-Mail and Friday’s Newspoll revealed.

The race has tightened significantly while still indicating Queensland will have a new Premier come Sunday morning.

But Mr Crisafulli needs to be careful.

If he assumes the top job he can’t repeat the mistakes he has made during the campaign – refusing to answer questions and stopping short of any bold vision for the state.

He must also not make the same mistakes of the last LNP premier of Queensland Campbell Newman.

We all know how that ended.

Queensland opposition leader David Crisafulli. Picture: Tertius Pickard

In his final interview before polls open today Mr Crisafulli says he has learned the lessons of the Newman era, saying he wanted to lead a government that showed compassion. The other lesson he could learn from Newman though is the need to stand for something.

Mr Crisafulli cannot continue this small target strategy if he gets into power. The state is in a much too precarious position for that with multiple crises – cost of living, health, crime and housing – basically his whole election pitch, needing urgent attention, as well as critical planning for the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

It is this term of government where those big decisions will need to be made to turn around the fortunes of our great state and to ensure the Games leave a legacy we can be proud of. Mr Crisafulli has a reputation for working hard and that is exactly what he is going to need to do if he gets the privilege of leading Queensland.

Originally published as Editor’s view: Crisafulli’s backflip an insult to voters