Queensland election: Flirting with One Nation? News to me, says Annastacia Palaszczuk

Annastacia Palaszczuk has denied knowledge of a guerrilla campaign by Labor in regional Queensland urging voters to preference One Nation ahead of the LNP.

Labor MP Brittany Lauga in Rockhampton. Picture: Dan Peled

Annastacia Palaszczuk has denied knowledge of a guerrilla campaign by Labor in regional Queensland — involving her Indigenous ­Affairs Minister — urging voters to preference One Nation ahead of the Liberal National Party in a bid to win marginal seats.

Drawing charges of hypocrisy over her attacks on the LNP for putting One Nation ahead of Labor, the campaigns of two Palaszczuk government frontbenchers and one candidate have been caught calling on voters to “Put the LNP Last” on their ballots.

All three are contesting marginal seats where One Nation came third in the primary vote in the 2017 election and, if repeated, the flow of their preferences could prove critical at the October 31 election.

In 2017 and in this campaign, Ms Palaszczuk attacked the LNP for putting Labor behind One ­Nation across the state, insisting her team would put Pauline Hanson’s party at the bottom of its how-to-vote cards in all 93 seats.

“What the opposition is putting together is a recipe for chaos,’’ Ms Palaszczuk said on October 6 when asked about the LNP’s decision to preference the Greens and One Nation ahead of Labor.

“We always have One Nation last, we’ve always made that clear.”

But outside voting booths and in their social media postings, the Labor MPs and candidates have been urging voters to preference One Nation ahead of the LNP.

A social media post by Craig Crawford, the Indigenous Affairs Minister and MP for the north Queensland seat of Barron River (held on a margin of 1.86 per cent), showed volunteers holding-up corflutes, including one that said “Put the LNP Last”.

Campaigners for assistant minister Brittany Lauga, who holds the central Queensland seat of Keppel (3.14 per cent), also displayed the same corflute on a back of a ute near a polling booth.

While Mr Crawford could not be contacted, Ms Lauga claimed she had been unaware that her campaign was advocating putting One Nation ahead of the LNP. “I had no idea. It was one of my volunteers who did that. I didn’t authorise that and have told them to remove it,’’ she said.

On Monday, it was revealed that Labor candidate for the central Queensland seat of Burdekin (held by the LNP on a 0.8 per cent margin), Mike Brunker, had urged voters on Facebook to “Put (LNP MP) Dale Last Last”.

Asked on Tuesday whether she had lost control of her MPs and candidates, Ms Palaszczuk said she would “read the riot act” to them. “No, no … yeah well, they’ll be read the riot act, I’ll tell you that,” she said.

“I’ve made it very clear and the party secretary has made it very clear that One Nation is last.”

Deputy Premier Steven Miles has previously warned voters “freaks and weirdos” could be elected because of the LNP’s plan to put One Nation ahead of Labor across the state.

Asked about the rogue Labor candidates on Tuesday, he said One Nation was the worst of the “freaks and weirdos”.

Deputy LNP leader Tim Mander said Labor had been “caught out”. “Annastacia Palaszczuk’s ­integrity is in tatters again and it proves she can’t be trusted when she talks preferences or deals with minor parties,’’ he said. “Instead of her fake bravado about reading the riot act, Annastacia Palaszczuk should start speaking the truth to Queenslanders.’’

Political analyst Paul Williams of Griffith University said One Nation preferences could prove critical in all three seats if the minor party comes third in the primary vote.

“Published polling indicates that One Nation’s vote is down and may finish third in more seats than they did in 2017,” he said. “It is a risky strategy in that it leads to Labor being charged with hypocrisy and, secondly, it undermines the perception of Palaszczuk as a strong leader.’’