Campbell Newman admits campaign damage in face of poll results

CAMPBELL Newman admitted that the controversy over his in-laws and an associate has hurt his campaign to become premier of Queensland.

Newman on Sky News

CAMPBELL Newman accepted today that the controversy over the business dealings of his in-laws and an associate from his time at Brisbane City Hall has affected his campaign to become premier of Queensland.

The Liberal-National Party leader made the concession today after a Galaxy poll in Brisbane’s The Courier-Mail showed he was in danger of stumbling at the first hurdle and being beaten for the seat of Ashgrove by Labor incumbent Kate Jones.

The poll has them neck-and-neck on a primary vote of 45 per cent each, with Greens preferences pushing Ms Jones clear by 51.5 per cent to 48.5 per cent on two-party preferred terms.

The finding was consistent with an automated ReachTEL poll earlier in the week, which had the former Bligh government minister narrowly ahead of Mr Newman.

He said the controversy over his family’s property dealings and the activities of his former campaign fundraiser at City Hall, Greg Bowden, was affecting his vote in Ashgrove. In The Weekend Australian today, Mr Newman disowned Mr Bowden’s involvement in property deals while working as a political adviser to the mayor, saying it was a "clear conflict of interest".

"I think we are seeing an effect because of this relentless personal attack, which is unfounded," Mr Newman told Sky News today.

He defended his record as mayor of Brisbane, saying that during seven years on the job he had handed down seven balanced budgets, delivered multi-billion dollar projects such as the Clem7 toll tunnel and had his rates policy endorsed by Premier Anna Bligh.

"In terms of financial dealings, well, look, no other candidate has ever been under such scrutiny," Mr Newman said.

"But no other candidate has ever provided such openness. If you go to the internet, the LNP’s…website, you can see all my financial interests. I was referred to the CMC by the Treasurer last year on a whole range of things and…within one week I was cleared.

"They have nothing other than the ongoing smear and innuendo that doesn’t stand up to much scrutiny."

Mr Newman said beating Ms Jones, who commands a 7.1 per cent margin in inner-Brisbane's Ashgrove, was always going to be tough. But he was confident that local voters understood that if they wanted to change the government, they needed to elect him as their MP.