Queensland election: Euthanasia debate takes centre stage
As Qld Premier backs euthanasia, opponent Deb Frecklington won’t give private stance, it’s a deeply personal issue.
Deb Frecklington has refused to say whether she personally supports euthanasia but says no one should have to die in pain.
The Opposition Leader, who has promised to grant her MPs a conscience vote on euthanasia should laws come before the House, said it was a deeply personal issue.
“I will wait and see the response from the (Queensland) Law Reform Commission and this is an issue that is serious and it affects people’s lives so it is important that we listen to the complex nature of the laws and that’s why the Law Reform Commission is looking at drafting those laws,” she said.
Pressed on whether she supported the premise of euthanasia, regardless of any laws, Ms Frecklington said she believed no one should have to die alone or in pain.
Earlier on Monday, Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk confirmed she would vote to legalise voluntary assisted dying if her Labor government wins a third term at the October 31 election.
Campaigning at Nerang, on the Gold Coast in the marginal Labor seat of Gaven, Ms Palaszczuk said she had brought the contentious issue into the campaign because it was “important” to many Queenslanders.
Ms Palaszczuk made the surprise announcement at her campaign launch on Sunday, revealing Labor would introduce legislation to legalise euthanasia in February, forcing the Queensland Law Reform Commission to rush its review of the issue due back by March.
Ms Frecklington also said the party would review the gestational limits in Queensland’s abortion laws, which currently allows a woman to request a termination for any reason up until 22 weeks.
“We have said that we would be looking at gestation limits and certainly around coercion,” she said.
She refused to say what her preferred gestational limit would be.
Frecklington attacked over Palmer stance
Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles has attacked LNP leader Deb Frecklington for refusing to denounce Clive Palmer’s advertisements alleging Labor was considering a “death tax”.
Mr Miles said Ms Frecklington should shun Mr Palmer, and said Mr Palmer should declare more about the property developments he was applying to build on the Gold Coast.
“Today Deb has to talk about Clive, because Clive has admitted his ads were untruthful, and he’s made a change to them … he’s put the word “could” in.”
“These are just more LNP lies, and Deb Frecklington has to distance herself from them … this is a day she has an opportunity to demonstrate she is a leader.”
Mr Miles said Ms Frecklington needed to “break up” with Mr Palmer.
“Their strategy right now is to have Clive spend the money to have Clive buy the premiership for Deb Frecklington.
“Clive is really just the LNP in yellow.”
The Australian reported last week that Mr Palmer and his company Palmer Leisure Australia had applied to build two huge property developments on the Gold Coast.
But Mr Palmer strongly denies he is a property developer as defined by the Electoral Act of Queensland, which bans donations from property developers.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland won’t say whether Mr Palmer is under investigation.
Mr Miles said it would be good if there was more clarity before the election.
“We’d appreciate knowing more, we’d appreciate him disclosing all of that information, just as the LNP should release their 11-page dossier on whether Deb Frecklington broke the law when she held those meetings (with property developers),” Mr Miles said.
“It’s also up to Clive to confirm that he is complying with the law, and he could disclose any correspondence he has with the ECQ.”
Mr Palmer last week said he was “clearly not a property developer, my business is mining”.
“I own a large company with many assets across a range of sectors including a large iron ore project in the Pilbara. Under the Act you need to have regularly undertaken development application proposals, which I have not. I haven’t lodged any new applications (since) the Act was introduced.”
He said The Australian’s reports were “fake news”.
Ms Frecklington hit back at Deputy Premier Steven Miles, claiming she doesn’t have a relationship with Clive Palmer.
“Another Labor lie, an absolute Labor lie,” she said.
“What I will say to Steven Miles is everytime someone looks at that bloke they need to remember that his priority was changing the name of the Lady Cilento Hospital, not saving the patients that are in it.”
Qld: ‘the recycling state’
Ms Frecklington was in the eighth safest Labor seat of Lytton on Monday morning to announce an LNP Government would make Queensland the “recycling state”.
Joined with Lytton candidate Gordon Walters and Redlands candidate Henry Pike, Ms Frecklington said the party would impose a ban on all batteries and electronics from going into landfill.
Lytton is held by Labor’s Joan Pease with a margin of 12.02 per cent.
The LNP also committed $50 million to work with councils to build a “new wave” of roads from recycled plastic waste like bottles and bags, and will establish a solar panel recycling industry.
Ms Frecklington said the party would initiate a reverse auction to establish a solar panel recycling facility in Queensland and would fast-track planning approvals for new and better recycling infrastructure.
“It’s an exciting day for the environment, it’s an exciting day for new industry and it’s an exciting day for new jobs,” she said.
“The first stage of the LNP’s recycling plan today is to build green roads out of recycled products.
“A kilometre of a green road would use 100,000 plastic bags and 150,000 beer bottles that is right now going into landfill.”
The LNP’s “goal” is to ban e-waste from going into landfill by 2024.
“Labor are great at recycling promises, but not waste,” Ms Frecklington said.
Frecklington won’t be drawn on latest poll
Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington wouldn’t be drawn on new polling that revealed the Labor Government has the trust of more Queenslanders to create jobs, instead referring to the state’s high unemployment rate.
The latest Newspoll published in The Australian today shows 43 per cent of voters believe Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Labor would be more effective at job creation compared to 29 per cent for the LNP under Leader Deb Frecklington.
Ms Frecklington said Queenslanders only needed to look at the last five years, “at the absolute failure of economic record under Annastacia Palaszczuk”.
“In fact right now we have the highest unemployment rate in the nation and it’s been that way for four years, that is the record of Annastacia Palaszczuk and the Labor Government,” she said.
Queensland’s unemployment rate hit 7.7 per cent last week.
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