Muslim migration, Paris Climate Accord, ABC privatisation all up for debate at Qld LNP state conference

THIS is one of the most pressing issues in Australia apparently, according to those attending Qld’s Liberal National Party conference.

You won’t be seeing these traffic lights in Queensland anytime soon if the LNP have their way. No siree. Picture: Jason Edwards

PEOPLE will never have to be offended by the sight of female - rather than male - stick figure on pedestrian crossing lights if the Queensland branch of the Liberal National Party (LNP) has its way.

Never mind only a handful exist and even those are in Victoria, not Queensland.

It was just one of a number of motions passed at the conservative party’s annual conference in the sunshine state.

The conflab took on a Trump-esque air, with members debating a push to limit Muslim migration, along with backing out of the Paris Climate Accord.

Some sectors of the party have also urged it vote in favour of privatising the ABC — arguing the public broadcaster is nothing more than a conduit for Greens propaganda — and banning the burqa.

At the three-day LNP state convention in Brisbane, the party voted in favour of a motion to ban girls under 10 wearing the Muslim head coverings at school.

Queensland’s LNP has voted in favour of banning Muslim girls under 10 from wearing hijabs to school.

However, the passing of that motion followed the defeat of another, in which some elements of the party wanted it to vote in favour of a general burqa ban.

The push to have it urge Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to follow Donald Trump’s lead and withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord was also narrowly defeated.

Not so one of the more interesting motions put forward, however, from the party’s youth arm, the Young LNP, to prevent changing male stick figures on traffic-walk signs to female.

That won widespread support and was passed.

Melbourne took a step towards gender parity with the launch of the Equal Crossings initiative with lights featuring a female figure to be unveiled at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets in March. Picture: Jason Edwards

In March, road authorities in Victoria has approved a 12-month trial of 10 female pedestrian symbols at the intersection of Flinders and Swanston streets.

VicRoads director of metro projects central Brendan Pauwels said he was influenced by his eight year old daughter who asked why “all the crossing symbols were men”.

“To me that’s good enough reason to support it,” he said.

“It really comes down to a ‘why not’ ... we’re happy to support it and give our technical expertise and work through the legalities.”

The future is coal-powered, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull told the party faithful. Pics Tara Croser.

It did, however, vote down another motion urging the privatisation of the ABC, along with a bid to again follow Trump’s lead and limit immigration from countries with sharia law.

The final day of the three day conference on Sunday heard from the party’s state leader, Tim Nicholls, who will take his opposition team to an election widely tipped to be called this year.

In a 25-minute speech this morning, the Courier-Mailreported Mr Nicholls outlined new policies including his plan to lock up terror suspects for 28 days without charge, along with plans for an anti-bullying program to replace the Safe Schools program.

It followed an address by Mr Turnbull yesterday, in which he mounted a defence of coal-powered electricity.

Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls outlined plans for an anti-bullying program that would be an alternative to Safe Schools. Picture: Darren England/AAP

“Those people who say coal and other fossil fuels have no future are delusional and they fly in the face of all of the economic forecasts,” he told the crowd.

The conference will wrap up later on Sunday.