Cost of living Qld: Leaders outline approach at head-to-head showdown

Energy rebates on skyrocketing power bills would stay under the LNP, while Premier Steven Miles promised hip-pocket relief in the budget as the two leaders faced off.

Energy rebates on skyrocketing power bills would stay under the LNP, while Premier Steven Miles promised hip-pocket relief in the budget as the two leaders faced off in an intense cost-of-living debate.

Going head-to-head for the first time ahead of the October 26 election and two crucial by-elections on Saturday, Mr Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli spent an hour pitching how they planned to drag Queensland out of the cost-of-living crunch.

The Premier pledged Queenslanders would see the “biggest cost-of-living budget ever” in June – but failed to reveal how or promise the government’s energy rebates were here to stay, saying he was “still working through the details”.

“We have the biggest energy rebates in the country,” he said. “But I know that’s not enough. I know we need to do more, and I’m determined that our budget – my first budget – will do more than any government ever has in a budget to put more funds back into the pockets of families, back into household budgets.

“Queenslanders tell me that they find that rebate very valuable. We’re still working on the budget, but I’ve said it will be the biggest cost-of-living budget ever.”

In contrast Mr Crisafulli spruiked certainty, saying should he win office in October cost-of-living measures such as the electricity rebate would stay.

“It has to be in the budget and I’ll put the Premier on notice – if it’s not in your budget, it will be in mine,” he said.

“If government changes in October, Queenslanders need that certainty that that won’t change.

“Those programs have to continue – they have to – because people are at breaking point, and they’re at breaking point because the underlying structural issues in the state are broken.

“The reason it has to be is because the increase in power prices is out of control.”

He also used the debate – moderated by The Courier-Mail’s state political editor Hayden Johnson – to announce a new energy policy aimed at putting downward pressure on power bills.

The LNP’s Supercharged Solar for Renters would offer grants up to $3500 to install solar panels on rental homes – a scheme which was trialled by Labor in 2019.

Premier Steven Miles (right) with Opposition Leader David Crisafulli on Tuesday. Picture: David Clark

“Our plan will deliver practical, long-term cost of living relief to Queensland renters, while charging-up our solar power capabilities,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“At a time when Queenslanders are struggling to keep a roof over their head and pay the bills, this delivers real relief for one of the big kitchen table bills.”

Audience members sourced by the Queensland Council of Social Service also grilled the leaders as they shared their stories of struggling to keep a roof over their head.

People living at the coalface of the cost-of-living crisis asked how the government could better boost homelessness services, help domestic and family abuse survivors and assist young people with the soaring cost of rent.

While the leaders agreed on some topics – such as the need to fast-track the supply of new homes to ease the housing issues – the Premier and Opposition Leader clashed on the supermarket inquiry which the LNP had sought to expand, and the proposed Pioneer-Burdekin Pumped Hydro project.

Mr Miles attempted to wedge Mr Crisafulli on privatising power assets – an issue which famously contributed to Campbell Newman’s crushing victory over Labor Premier Anna Bligh, and was again roundly rejected at the 2017 poll.

“If (you) are interested in seeing energy assets kept in public hands, then Labor is really your only choice there,” Mr Miles said.

“The LNP didn’t just plan to sell them – they actually closed three power plants because prices had got too low, and they wanted to push prices up. (Energy rebates) are only possible because we own our electricity assets, we’ve kept them in state government hands, and because we increased the royalty rate on coal miners which gives us the fiscal flexibility to allow us to put those dollars back into household budgets.”

But Mr Crisafulli was adamant selling off assets was “not on the agenda”, saying Queenslanders had made their feelings clear at two elections.

“It shouldn’t be on the agenda, because you’ve got to listen to Queenslanders,” he said.

“But what I am focused on is how can we make sure that we keep our power plants on.

“Last time energy assets were sold in this state was in the period of the Bligh government, and the now premier was working for them at the time.”

Originally published as Cost of living Qld: Leaders outline approach at head-to-head showdown