The 10 moments that changed the election campaign
As the LNP claimed victory and it was revealed that David Crisafulli would lead the state for the next four years we look back at the 10 moments that defined the campaign.
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As the LNP claimed victory and it was revealed that David Crisafulli would lead the state for the next four years we look back at the 10 moments that defined the campaign.
ABORTION
It took David Crisafulli more than 130 questions and until the final week of the campaign to finally say he was “pro-choice”. But the damage had already been done – and he still didn’t rule out a conscious vote on the issue. Robbie Katter added fuel to the fire after he vowed to introduce a private member’s bill to trigger a conscience vote – then walked it back.
FREE LUNCHES
Steven Miles’ $1.4bn surprise free school lunches announcement was welcomed by struggling families – but principals believe the money could be better spent elsewhere. It was a populist policy once mooted by the Greens – and panned by Labor at the time.
SCARE CAMPAIGNS
The campaign was dominated by mistruths from both sides. The most significant being a union-led Mediscare-style campaign claiming the LNP would sell off hospitals – including ones yet to be built.
OLYMPICS
Crisafulli couldn’t say what his plans were for the 2032 Brisbane Olympic and Paralympic Games, other than he didn’t like the government’s QSAC option. He repeatedly spruiked his 100-day review as the best way to save the state from any Games embarrassment. Miles stuck to his guns on the QSAC plan.
THE DEBATES
Miles won all three debates according to punters, despite Crisafulli being the more polished performer. It showed what many insiders already believed – Miles was the more likeable campaigner.
CRIME PROMISE
Crisafulli’s defining moment came in the first debate when he vowed not to run in 2028 if he couldn’t reduce the number of crime victims – no caveats. “It’s victim numbers, it’s not number of unique offences and what happens on a Wednesday,” he said. But on the final day of the campaign – when more than a million Queenslander shad voted – he said it would be tied to population growth.
COSTINGS
The LNP did not release its costings until the 11th hour and when it did, there were still questions remaining over how it would fund some of its commitments. Labor used the lack of costing throughout the campaign to claim the LNP would cut thousands of jobs to pay for its promises.
MILES’ ‘RIZ
The more voters saw of Miles – on TikTok or kissing babies on the hustings – the more they liked the daggy dad. But the more they saw of Crisafulli, the more they disliked him.
THE GAFFS
Miles forgot the names of two candidates, a picture surfaced of a Labor MP wearing a Hitler T-shirt and an LNP candidate posted a joke alongside a graffitied picture of herself with a Hitler moustache.
BUYING UP BIG
Miles had already promised state-owned petrol stations – then during the campaign he added energy retailers and state-run GP clinics. At one stage, in response to a Courier-Mail reader’s question, he even revealed he had investigated a state-owned insurance company. All have been widely criticised.
Originally published as The 10 moments that changed the election campaign
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