Queensland election debate: Who won between Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deb Frecklington?
Days before Queenslanders head to the polls, border closures dominated a debate between Annastacia Palaszczuk and Deb Frecklington. Who won?
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington have faced off at the People’s Forum, with both leaders responding to questions from undecided voters. Undecided voters have declared Annastacia Palaszczuk the winner of the first election debate, with 53 per cent backing her compared to LNP leader Deb Frecklington’s 30 per cent. Here’s what our experts had to say.
Michael Mckenna 7pm: Palaszczuk had killer line but LNP costings will be crucial
Annastacia Palaszczuk hasn’t gone off script for five years since she won office in 2015 with the simple distinction that she isn’t Campbell Newman.
Facing her toughest rival in Deb Frecklington in the belated first debate of the Queensland election campaign, the Premier took every opportunity to remind voters of the Newman government cuts to the public service and sow the seeds of more job losses to fund the LNP’s campaign promises.
The LNP will release its costings on Thursday — the same timing as Labor in 2017 — but MS Palaszczuk’s goading of Ms Frecklington to explain how she could possibly pay for her plans was powerful.
It also helped deflect from the Premier’s unwillingness to talk-up, even talk about, her government’s five-year record before the coronavirus pandemic.
And that’s where Ms Frecklington focused her attack.
She gave one of her best performances as LNP leader, slamming Ms Palaszczuk over the government’s record of high unemployment, low business confidence and its ambivalence to the state’s resource industry.
It is a careful strategy of Ms Frecklington that is aimed squarely at the regions, where Labor was smashed at last year’s federal election over the same issues.
Despite the benefit of incumbency in a crisis like COVID-19, Ms Palaszczuk looked defensive in her government’s absolutism in allowing footballers to cross the border and not the sick or grieving.
Ms Frecklington had the better debate with her “bold vision” of infrastructure builds and her attack on Labor’s record.
But Ms Palaszczuk had the killer line as she again called for the LNP leader to explain how the promises could be paid for without cuts, invoking memories of the Newman government.
And Thursday’s answer from the LNP could decide the election.
Charlie Peel 6.48pm: It was a draw
Running a dead heat, both leaders stuck to a script well-worn in the past four weeks of campaigning.
Tellingly, the Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s responses showed that, instead of relying on her government’s performance over the past two terms, she wanted voters to judge her on her handling of the coronavirus pandemic in the past six months.
The currency of her focus was ignored, however, when asked about economic performance. Instead of focusing on her own track record, she became nostalgic, reflecting on Deb Frecklington’s time as a junior minister in the Newman government.
It was not a good look for the Opposition Leader to constantly duck questions about how she would fund her campaign commitments.
It’s not unusual for a party to release its costings two days before polling day — despite her protestations Ms Palaszczuk did the same in 2017 — but voters have been given no indication of how the LNP’s promises will be funded, let alone any detail.
It was predictable that when Labor released its costings early on Monday, the Premier would wield the issue at the People’s Forum to undermine the LNP’s pitch.
But Ms Frecklington did not adapt her strategy to nullify the argument.
It is apparent that both leaders share a stance on handling coronavirus and reopening the state’s borders, but Ms Frecklington differs in that she would publicly release health advice so voters can be certain it is not being manipulated for political purposes, and she will ensure decisions are based on “consistency, compassion and common sense” — something lacking in the past few months.
Expecting voters to believe them when both leaders said they would not do deals to form a minority government is farcical.
Ms Palaszczuk did it in 2015, despite ruling out deals prior to the election, and she and Ms Frecklington will do it next week if Saturday’s poll ends in a hung parliament.
Jamie Walker 6.41pm: Palaszczuk won, but not convincingly
Annastacia Palaszczuk won the opening Queensland leaders’ debate, but not convincingly. It was an unedifying affair more notable for the questions she and Deb Frecklington ducked than what we learned about their plans for the state.
The Premier scored on the borders issue, with a consistent line on why they had to be shut: nobody wanted Queensland to be Victoria. Frecklington less so. The Liberal National Party Leader struggled to square her initial support for an open door to accepting medical advice that the crossings mostly stay closed.
But she turned the tables on Palaszczuk on unemployment, pointing out that Queensland’s jobless rate was higher per capita than Victoria despite the ravages of COVID. Palaszczuk was given the opportunity to voice full-throated support for thermal coal and didn’t. Regional voters in the mining belt might mark that down.
Frecklington failed to commit to a renewable energy target.
Palaszczuk was strong on the LNP’s election costings, due to be released on Thursday. Six times she demanded that Frecklington describe how she would fund commitments such as the New Bradfield scheme to irrigate the outback and six times the Opposition Leader demurred, saying the numbers would be out soon enough.
It was not quite a Trumpian moment and nor did it floor Frecklington, who generally gave as good as she got. But it showed once again that Palaszczuk was in control of the agenda, a handy look for the Premier.
Sarah Elks 6.39pm: Frecklington unable to capitalise on border closures
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was slightly stronger than her LNP opponent Deb Frecklington in this evening’s People’s Forum debate, with COVID-19 at the top of undecided voters’ minds.
There wasn’t much new, or terribly inspiring, in either leader’s pitch to voters. Palaszczuk focused on her job keeping Queenslanders’ safe during the pandemic, while Frecklington said she didn’t want the state to remain at the “bottom of the ladder” economically.
While some of the questioners were upset about the border closures, Frecklington was unable to really capitalise, given her position is now the same as the Premier’s: both will listen to the health advice from Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young as to when reopening should occur.
Where Frecklington did make up some ground was on the issue of border exemptions, saying if she was Premier she’d act with “compassion” and “common-sense” for events such as funerals.
But Palaszczuk bit back, accusing Frecklington of putting Queenslanders lives at risk by suggesting international education travellers should return.
Palaszczuk focused heavily on COVID-19, and how Queensland dodged a bullet and avoided ending up like Victoria or other parts of the world because of her cautious management. Frecklington tried to paint a more aspirational picture, returning frequently to her New Bradfield Scheme dam-building proposal.
There are still unanswered questions. Palaszczuk dodged a sharp query from The Courier-Mail’s Steven Wardill about whether she backed thermal coal. Frecklington would not say whether she would keep Labor’s 50 per cent renewable energy target by 2030.
More than 950,000 voters – of Queensland’s 3.5m enrolled electors – have already cast their ballots at pre-poll stations around the state, and more than 820,000 people have asked for postal votes.
-
Here’s how the debate played out.
Sarah Elks 6.38pm: Undecided voters declare Palaszczuk the winner
Undecided voters have declared Annastacia Palaszczuk the winner of the first election debate, with 53 per cent backing her compared to LNP leader Deb Frecklington’s 30 per cent.
According to votes cast after the Sky/The Courier-Mail People’s Forum, there were 47 voters: 25 backed Labor after the debate (53 per cent), 14 chose the LNP (30 per cent) and eight voters, or 17 per cent, remained undecided.
Sarah Elks 6.05pm: ‘Not the time for risk’: Premier has last word
Summing up her pitch to voters, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk warned Queenslanders they had a “clear choice” about the future of the state.
Ms Palaszczuk said LNP leader Deb Frecklington would have opened the state’s borders “months ago”.
“Now is not the time for risk, now is the time for stability not chaos, now is the time to chart the course forward, to ensure we’re working together,” she said.
“Think very closely – (leave here with a) single question, how is Deb Frecklington going to pay for her promises? She’s refusing to say, that’s not fair.”
Ms Frecklington has said the LNP will release its costings on Thursday, the same day Labor released its costings last election.
Ms Palaszczuk’s Treasurer Cameron Dick revealed Labor’s costings on Monday.
Charlie Peel 5.54pm: Do you want more of the same? Frecklington’s challenge
In her closing statement, Ms Frecklington said the choice for voters was clear: “More of the same economic mismanagement … or the LNP with a bold ambitious plan for the future of Queensland”.
“Queenslanders deserve to have a government that aspires to a 5 per cent unemployment target,” she said.
“Let’s get Queensland working again.”
Sarah Elks 5.59pm: Crime ‘out of control in north Queensland’: Frecklington
Deb Frecklington says “crime is out of control in north Queensland” because of Labor’s “soft on crime approach”.
The leaders clashed over crime in the region, after Sky’s Kieran Gilbert asked Ms Frecklington how her youth curfew policy in Townsville and Cairns would work, describing it as a “very blunt instrument”.
Ms Frecklington said police would have the power to use discretion about whether teenagers out after the curfew would be taken to refuges.
“Crime is out of control in north Queensland, Labor’s soft on crime approach just isn’t working,” Ms Frecklington said.
She said Labor had rolled back breach of bail laws and police custody was a “revolving door” for some children.
Ms Frecklington said it was a six-month trial and her curfew was “immediate solution to an immediate problem that is facing people in Townsville and in Cairns”.
She said there “was a reason” why there’s six police officers in her party-room already, and a senior police officer running for Mundingburra, in Townsville.
Ms Palaszczuk said she had promised 2025 police over the next four years, an extra 150 for each region.
“People have a right to feel safe in their homes, to feel safe in their communities,” she said.
The Premier said Ms Frecklington had not properly explained her curfew policy, and had cut senior police officers when the Newman government was in power.
READ MORE: Kids curfew ‘aimed at crime-struck cities’
Charlie Peel 5.54pm: Candidates quizzed on planning policies
Aiden from Maiwar asked if there was any scope for the government to restrict “overly-prescriptive planning policies”.
He said smaller developers were finding it difficult to compete with large corporations.
Ms Palaszczuk said the issue was mostly within the jurisdiction of local government.
Charlie Peel 5.54pm: Frecklington says she’ll cut Labor’s finance ‘waste’
Natalie from Greenslopes asked what the leaders would do to help young Queenslanders afford to buy homes of their own and raise families.
Ms Frecklington said she wanted to be a premier for “the next generation” of Queenslanders.
She said her policies would make it cheaper and easier to access childcare.
“You need a government that understands it is your future, that it’s not okay to have the highest unemployment rate in the nation,” she said.
Ms Frecklington said an LNP government would restore maternity services to regional Queensland.
“I want to be a premier for all of Queensland,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said that as an assistant minister to Campbell Newman, Ms Frecklington contributed to cuts in the public service.
The premier said voters should be concerned by Ms Frecklington’s “uncosted” promises.
“If you are not going to borrow money, the only way is to cut,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“You were part of the Newman government, you were an assistant minister.”
Ms Frecklington said the premier had no record to run on.
“I have already announced that we will improve frontline services,” she said.
“Yesterday the Treasurer said doctors and nurses would have to work harder.”
Ms Frecklington, who has said she will release her costings on Thursday, said she would cut the Palaszczuk government’s “waste”.
The Premier repeatedly interrupted Ms Frecklington as she attempted to answer the question about how she would fund her promises.
“One of the first things we will do is stop Labor’s waste,” Ms Frecklington said.
“The health minister’s priority was to spend almost $500,000 of taxpayer money not to look after kids … but ripping down the name (of Lady Cilento Hospital).
“Our debt will always be lower than Labor’s.”
Sarah Elks 5.45pm: Renewable energy target at risk if LNP elected: Palaszczuk
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has warned the renewable energy target is at risk if the LNP is elected on Saturday.
Asked by undecided voter Jim whether the Chief Health Officer had advised of the health impact of burning millions of tonnes of coal, Ms Palaszczuk said the CHO was advising her on COVID-19.
She said thousands of Queenslanders were employed in the coal industry, and when she was elected, seven per cent of the state’s energy was renewables, which was now over 20 per cent.
“All of that is at risk if Deb Frecklington gets elected,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
Ms Frecklington again referred to the New Bradfield Scheme and said it would divert flooding rains away from the Great Barrier Reef to west of the Great Dividing Range.
“That’s really exciting and (a) great environmental (benefit),” she said.
Ms Frecklington defended the coal industry, saying “regional Queensland thrives on that industry”.
Charlie Peel 5.41pm: Premier quizzed on Acland project, coal stance
Courier-Mail state affairs editor Steven Wardill asked whether the Premier supported the thermal coal industry, including New Hope’s New Acland coal mine near Toowoomba.
“Let me make it very clear my government supports the coal industry, gas industry and renewables industry,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
She said she would not approve the New Acland coal project until legal action around the proposed mine expansion had finished.
Ms Frecklington said she would support the New Acland mine, because the state needed to support the jobs it would bring.
She accused the premier of being misleading in her statement that the Olive Downs coal mine, which Labor has supported, was not facing legal action.
READ MORE: $1bn Qld coal mine to go ahead
Sarah Elks 5.38pm: Difference is “I have a positive plan’: Frecklington
Opposition leader Deb Frecklington says Queensland “cannot sit back” and accept being “at the bottom of the economic ladder”.
Answering a question about why the voters should back the LNP even though she is a less experienced leader, Ms Frecklington said there was a “distinct difference” because the LNP had a “positive plan to grow our economy to create jobs”.
She said expanding the Bruce Highway into four lanes and the New Bradfield dam scheme were “big bold ambitious projects”.
“(We) cannot sit back in Queensland and accept being at the bottom of the economic ladder … you don’t want to be below those people (in SA and TAS),” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We need ambition and a bit of hope back in this great state.”
Charlie Peel 5.36pm: ‘I won’t be pushed by those with other interests’: Palaszczuk
Sky news political reporter Andrew Clennell asked the Premier how she could justify the onerous requirements she had set before reopening the Queensland border to NSW.
He asked if the closed borders had contributed to the September labour force figures which showed Queensland had the highest unemployment rate in the country.
Ms Palaszczuk defended her border closures.
“We have taken these strong measures on the health advice and that is exactly what Queenslanders would want me to do,” Ms Palaszczuk.
She accused NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian of wanting to “down the border”, along with the opposition leader.
“When a health officer says it is safe to open up those borders then I will do so,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“I will not be pushed into it by people who have other interests at heart.”
Sarah Elks 5.32pm: What Frecklington would have done differently with borders
LNP leader Deb Frecklington says she would ask the Chief Health Officer to “create COVID-Safe plans” for people to visit dying loved ones interstate.
Undecided voter Adam, from the electorate of Cooper, said he could not visit loved ones in hospital in northern NSW because of Queensland’s tough border restrictions.
He asked Ms Frecklington what she’d do differently, when “AFL footballers and celebrities could cross (the border)”.
“(We would use) consistency, compassion and common sense, and making sure as a government we have COVID-safe plans to attend things like a funeral, to be able to go see a loved one who is dying,” Ms Frecklington said.
“I would ask the Chief Health Officer to create a COVID-safe plan for situations such as you’ve pointed out,” she said.
Ms Palaszczuk said “of course it’s heartbreaking,” revealing she had an uncle in hospital who she was not able to visit during a Queensland outbreak
“For a long period of time, people couldn’t go and visit their loved ones in aged care centres and hospitals,” she said.
“These are very hard situations, I know how difficult this is for people, but I have to take the health advice.
Charlie Peel 5.30pm: Economy ‘struggling’ under Labor before pandemic: Frecklington
Marylin asked how the leaders planned to revive the economy after the damage wrought by the coronavirus pandemic.
Ms Frecklington said she would focus on creating jobs through infrastructure projects and accused Labor of being clueless about the way forward.
“They don’t have a plan, they don’t have a budget this year,” she said.
“This was a government that said they would bring their budget forward so that Queenslanders would have confidence with what they were taking to the election.
“Well that was a false promise.”
Ms Frecklington said Labor’s economic performance had been poor even before the pandemic.
“Queensland deserves better than being at the bottom of the ladder,” she said.
“The reason the Queensland economy is struggling so badly throughout Covid is because even before Covid, the Queensland economy was struggling.”
Ms Palaszczuk said the LNP oversaw high unemployment during the reign of former premier Campbell Newman.
“When Deb Frecklington was part of Campbell Newman’s government, unemployment was at 7.3 per cent,” she said.
“And they cut jobs.”
Ms Palaszczuk said Labor would hand down a budget before the end of the year and stood on her record of delivering five budget surpluses.
“We are focused on getting people back into work,” she said.
“That is why we have a strong economic plan that will create 50,000 jobs.”
READ MORE: Leaders burn rubber in regional race
Sarah Elks 5.23pm: ‘We’re going to have to live like this for a long time’: Palaszczuk
LNP leader Deb Frecklington says young people are a “generation of Queenslanders we can’t leave behind,” as the music industry struggles to recover from COVID-19.
A voter called Jack, from Red Hill, asked both leaders what they would do to support the music industry, because artists’ income had been affected during the pandemic.
Neither leader gave specific measures, but Ms Palaszczuk said the government was building a new performing arts complex in Brisbane, and centres in Cairns and Rockhampton.
She warned “life is not like it used to be,” she said, and that life would not return to normal until there was a vaccine.
“We’re going to have to live like this for a long time, until there’s a vaccine developed, and that vaccine might be years away … but we’ll continue to back the arts industry,” she said.
Ms Frecklington said her daughter’s boyfriend, in a duo called Syrup, was having to do two shows a night with half the audience, and implored young people to “hang in there”.
“Please hang in there, you guys are so important to Queensland … this generation struggling at the moment to do the arts,” Ms Frecklington said.
“What’s most important is we follow all the COVID-safe plans, this is a generation of Queenslanders we can’t leave behind.”
READ MORE: Premier fires up: ‘Nothing to do with NSW’
Charlie Peel 5.20pm: ‘Universities crying out in pain’: Frecklington
A question came from Barry from Mansfield, who was concerned about the impact the border closures had on Queensland’s international education industry.
He was concerned the state would miss out on attempts to revive the industry while other states reopened their borders to international students.
Ms Frecklington said the education space was the state’s third largest export.
“It’s a massive boon to the Queensland economy,” she said.
“What I have done is meet with the vice-chancellors of the universities about this exact point. “They were very worried because the government hadn’t engaged with them. We know that discussion has happened with the other two states and Queensland has missed out on that opportunity.
“Universities are crying out in pain.”
Ms Palaszczuk said she was concerned about the effect reopening the borders too quickly could have on the state’s health response to the coronavirus pandemic.
“I have concerns about opening the international borders too quickly,” she said.
Sarah Elks 5.10pm: ‘Why did you close our borders for only six deaths?’
The first question came from Lisa from Newmarket, who asked why did Ms Palaszczuk close down the state’s borders “for only six deaths”.
“I missed out on going to two funerals myself, and I was stopped doing that, you closed down the churches … you closed down small businesses. I personally know people who have suffered,” she asked.
Ms Palaszczuk said when Queensland first heard of the COVID-19 outbreak in China, the initial modelling was that 10,000 Queenslanders would die.
“You only have to look at what’s happened in Victoria with the second wave … more than 700 people have lost their lives,” she said.
The Premier said Queensland needed to keep its “robust quarantine system”.
“We see what happens when COVID gets out of control … but the leader of the Opposition called for the border to be opened 64 times,” she said.
“We would have had a second wave here, like Victoria, and the consequences … would have been diabolical.”
Ms Frecklington responded, saying Queenslanders had “done it really, really tough” and thanked people for doing everything that “had been asked of them”.
“We’ve seen a distinct lack of consistency, compassion and common sense when it comes to some of the decision-making,” she said.
She recalled the case of Canberra resident Sarah Caisip who was unable to go to her father’s funeral in Queensland because of quarantine rules.
Ms Frecklington said if she were Premier she would ask for a COVID-Safe plan for funerals.
“We must show compassion, we must show consistency, and we must show some commonsense,” she said.
She said she did not understand why AFL footballers were able to come in, but people who were recovering from brain surgery were not able to quarantine at home.
READ MORE: Shattered family left to mourn apart
Sarah Elks 4.25pm: First-time face-off for historic campaign
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and her challenger Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington face off this evening for the first time in the knife-edge election campaign.
Ahead of Saturday’s historic poll – the first to be fought by two women leaders and ushering in the state’s inaugural fixed four-year term – Ms Palaszczuk and Ms Frecklington will front undecided voters at the Broncos Leagues Club, in Brisbane’s Red Hill from 4pm AEST.
The one-hour event is a “people’s forum,” hosted by Sky News and The Courier-Mail, and the swinging voters have been picked by pollster YouGov. The voters will be able to pose questions to the two leaders, one of the first times in the increasingly stage-managed campaign they’ll encounter Queenslanders who haven’t been vetted by their party machines.
Ms Palaszczuk is expected to focus on her handling of the COVID-19 health crisis, and attack Ms Frecklington over her calls to reopen the state’s borders. The Labor leader will also criticise her LNP counterpart for failing to release her party’s costings of election commitments yet, which the ALP did on Monday, and accuse the Opposition of planning to cut public service jobs. The LNP will release its costings on Thursday.
Ms Frecklington is tipped to focus on Labor’s economic record, Queensland having the highest unemployment rate in the country, and the government’s neglect of the regions and the resources industry.
READ MORE: Labor ‘ripping off’ taxpayers: Frecklington
More Coverage
Disability support outside the NDIS
With the government looking to take pressure off the National Disability Insurance Scheme, consultations are about to get under way about what broader disability support might look like.
Progressive climate of fear as nuclear support takes hold
Chris Bowen will weaponise government modelling warning of blackouts under the Coalition’s energy policy and demand-supply gaps of up to 49 per cent by 2035, amid growing support for Peter Dutton’s nuclear pitch in inner-city seats.