Albo joins Queensland election campaign, with less than two weeks to go
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has made his first appearance of the Queensland state election campaign, joining Premier Steven Miles on the Gold Coast to announce … nothing.
Instead, the joint appearance at Parkwood served as a public endorsement of his Labor colleague, a full 10 days after federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton did the same for the LNP’s David Crisafulli.
The prime minister said Queenslanders could expect to see more of him before polls close a week from Saturday.
“My only regret is I haven’t been able to be here more in the last week due to other responsibilities I have as prime minister, attending ASEAN and attending parliament,” he said.
But some comments Albanese made as he sought to win the keys to the Lodge came back to haunt him. In May 2022, ahead of the federal election, Albanese said “a government that goes into its fourth term doesn’t get better”.
On Monday, Albanese said that rule did not apply to Steven Miles and the Queensland state Labor government.
“You’ve got that regeneration coming through,” he said.
“It’s something my government has done as well with the retirement of three cabinet ministers.
“You’ve got to continue to regenerate – that’s something that Queensland Labor has done.
“Annastacia Palaszczuk was a fantastic premier, and that is being continued on, that work, by Steven Miles.”
Over its parliamentary life, the four-term Coalition government to which Albanese referred in 2022 had three leaders – Tony Abbott, Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison.
The main substantive Queensland-centric issue discussed at the joint appearance was that of nuclear power.
“The law bans nuclear in Queensland, but also requires the minister to hold a plebiscite as soon as they reasonably believe that the Australian government intends to build a nuclear reactor,” he said.
“That’s what the law says. I’ve said I will comply with that law. David Crisafulli has said he does too, but I wonder whether he actually intends to hold that plebiscite.”
When Dutton and Crisafulli appeared together, the federal Coalition’s nuclear power ambitions dominated discussions, with Crisafulli remaining steadfast in his opposition to reactors in Queensland.
But one comment Dutton made (“I outlined the first step [towards nuclear power] – that is to get David elected as premier”) continued to have fallout on Monday.
“That [comment] means that the first step to blocking Peter Dutton’s plan for nuclear reactors is to elect me in October,” Miles said.
Albanese said that result would be one way the uncosted “nuclear fantasy” would not happen.
The two leaders went back some way – Albanese reminisced about launching Miles’ first campaign for state parliament, long before he could consider a tilt at the premiership.
And, Albanese being Albanese, there was the obligatory State of Origin reference.
“We’re friends 365 days a year, and 362 nights – there are three nights when we’re not friends,” he said.
“But apart from that, it’s all good between us and I’m very proud to support Steven Miles’ campaign.”