Former Queensland LNP leader Campbell Newman lashes incumbent David Crisafulli

Queensland’s former LNP premier Campbell Newman has condemned his successor’s pledge to adopt Labor’s budget without reading it, saying his commitment was ‘dishonest’.

Former Queensland premier Campbell Newman and David Crisafulli in 2015. Picture: Jack Tran

Queensland’s former Liberal National Party premier Campbell Newman has condemned his successor’s pledge to adopt Labor’s budget without reading it, saying his commitment was “dishonest” and had left the state without an alternative government.

The one-term premier said David Crisafulli “completely abrogated” his responsibility as an opposition leader when he committed to continue funding Labor infrastructure projects and social service programs if the LNP won government at October’s state election.

The state budget, to be handed down on Tuesday, includes $6m for “gender affirming care”, $41m for an abortion action plan, $4.5m for a voluntary assisted dying pharmacy program, $40m for a treaty institute and $56m for a First Nations truth telling inquiry. Mr Newman said the state’s conservative voters felt “betrayed and let down” by Mr Crisafulli’s promise to honour Labor’s funding commitments.

“They really want to get rid of this Labor government which has been just so bad, but they are looking at Crisafulli thinking ‘well, what would you do? What do you stand for?” Mr Newman told The Australian.

“David Crisafulli should go and have a long, hard look at himself in the mirror and really decide whether he really has got what it takes to be the leader of this state.

“Because it’s simply not good enough to, in a quest for power, to just roll over on things like this to try and pursue this small-target strategy. It’s wrong, it’s dishonest, it’s not what Queenslanders are owed, and I condemn them for it.”

Mr Crisafulli, who served as a minister in the Newman government, qualified his commitment on Wednesday, saying projects had to be “under way” for him to continue funding them.

“I’m offering calm, considered, disciplined leadership,” he said. “And that means if projects are in a budget, if they’re under way and they’re costed, I don’t think Queenslanders would want to see an incoming government not continue with projects like that.”

Asked if he would fund Labor’s gender affirming, abortion, euthanasia and treaty programs, a spokeswoman for Mr Crisafulli said: “The LNP will not be engaging in a running commentary on every single leaked budget line-item in a ridiculous and desperate Labor game that does not help Queenslanders with the challenges they are facing.”.

Scott Prasser, a senior fellow at the Centre for Independent Studies who has worked in state and federal governments dating back to Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s reign, said Mr Crisafulli was “petrified” of being compared to Mr Newman, who implemented austerity measures of cuts to jobs and services.

“However, an opposition is meant to be the government-in-waiting and it has got to explain what it is going to do, what its program will be,” he said.

“They think they’re going to get into office by saying nothing.”