Queensland election: Labor costings ‘ripping off’ taxpayers over motorway: Frecklington

Deb Frecklington says Labor hasn’t set aside the funds to complete a second Gold Coast motorway.

Queensland opposition LNP leader Deb Frecklington, left, visits Gooding Drive roundabout on the Gold Coast with Ros Bates MP. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Marshall

Deb Frecklington has accused Labor of “ripping off” taxpayers after the party’s costings revealed only a fraction of required funding had been set aside to build a second motorway to the Gold Coast.

The duplication of the M1 has been a key election commitment of both major parties, but Labor’s costings, released on Monday, showed the party had not set aside enough money to complete the project.

Announcing the party’s commitment in September to building the Coomera Connector — the official name for the second M1 — Labor said the project would cost $755m.

But the costings flagged only $270m over four years.

Ms Frecklington said Treasurer Cameron Dick was “ripping off the people of the Gold Coast”.

“Labor has been exposed for their hoax and their phony announcement around the second M1,” she said.

Ms Frecklington campaigned on the Gold Coast on Wednesday in the marginal Labor electorate of Gaven, held by Meaghan Scanlon with a buffer of 0.7 per cent.

The LNP leader announced the party would spend $35m to upgrade a roundabout at Gooding Drive as part of a $1bn congestion fund.

‘We will get it done’

“This upgrade is on top of the LNP’s plan to build a second M1,” Ms Frecklington said.

“We will partner with the Federal Morrison government and we will get it done.”

The Opposition Leader also criticised Labor’s decision to cite an economic analysis, prepared by a Labor council candidate in Melbourne on behalf of a think tank that has Labor advertising guru Dee Madigan on its board, as supposed proof that the LNP would need to cut public service jobs to meet its election commitments.

Ms Frecklington has repeatedly ruled out the “cuts” and labelled the claims as “Labor lies”.

“I cannot stand by for a minute longer and think it is OK for another four years of failure, the highest unemployment rate in the nation,” Ms Frecklington said.

“These are shocking records that the Palaszczuk Labor government have to explain to the people of Queensland.

“No wonder they have roped in an advertising agency, I think from Melbourne, to do their policy documents. They’re going to need a lot more than that.

“No wonder Cameron Dick can’t even deliver a budget if they were relying on an advertising agency.”

No answers on hung parliament

Ms Frecklington repeatedly refused to declare what she would do in the event of a hung parliament, which polls suggest is a real possibility.

“I am aiming every single day for a majority government,” she said.

“I believe in ambition, I believe in vision and I believe in Queensland’s future.”

Asked if she had a good relationship with Katter’s Australian Party leader Robbie Katter and Noosa independent Sandy Bolton, Ms Frecklington said it was “a matter for other people to judge”.

“But I have a great working relationship with all parliamentarians,” she said.

“I am someone who always says a big hello, a big g’day, no matter who it is and where they are because we are all Queenslanders and I just don’t believe in giving someone a snub because they don’t have the same political beliefs.”

Ms Frecklington, who has said an LNP government would not make budget cuts for Queensland Health, would not rule out whether she would ask other departments to find savings.

Labor has said Queensland Health would be required to find $1bn in savings to pay for the party’s election commitments.

“I’ll say this to the hardworking doctors and nurses of Queensland Health: an LNP government would never ask you to do more than the hard work that you’re already doing,” she said.

“These men and women work every hour that God gives them to work hard on behalf of us, to keep us safe, to keep us healthy and the Palaszczuk government seriously think they should work harder. That’s an insult to our doctors and nurses.”

Palaszczuk attacks Frecklington over Berejiklian border comments

Annastacia Palaszczuk has hit out at Ms Frecklington after NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian claimed the LNP leader would have opened the Queensland border “months ago”.

Just days out from the final polling day, the Premier seized on Ms Berejiklian’s comments to land a political attack on Ms Frecklington, saying she would have opened the borders without medical advice.

“I have the courage to stand up for what is right,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I have the courage to keep Queenslanders safe.

“And unfortunately, it’s disappointing to see the NSW premier try to be political at this time when she has enough of her own issues to deal with.

“This is simply a diversion from what is happening with herself down in NSW. And I have refrained from commenting on that and that is all I’m going to say about it.”

Ms Berejiklian told The Today Show earlier in the day that she knew Ms Frecklington would “definitely” open the border if she won the October 31 election.

“And she would’ve done it months ago because that’s the way Deb and the LNP are up there,” she said.

“In fact I was in touch with her yesterday and she feels very strongly about keeping jobs in her and state and getting tourism back up and running.”

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk speaks during a visit to Century Yuasa Batteries in Brisbane, as she campaigns ahead of Saturday’s election. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Ms Palaszczuk confirmed there had been two new cases of coronavirus in Queensland overnight - but both were in hotel quarantine.

She said she expected to be given medical advice over the next couple of days that would inform her decision over whether to reopen the border.

Ms Palaszczuk has previously committed to telling Queenslanders by October 30 if the border to NSW will be reopening - just one day out from polling day.

The Premier spent the morning visiting a battery factory in her Inala electorate to meet with workers, but she did not make a specific announcement.

Premier defends road spend

Ms Palaszczuk has defended Labor’s costings of the second M1, conceding that all of it won’t be built over the next four years.

It comes after Ms Frecklington accused Labor of “ripping of taxpayers” amid revelations that it has only set aside $270 million for the next term of government.

“We want construction to start next year,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“It will be progressively rolled out and that is what the Department of Transport and Main Roads said that we actually need for that four year period.”

She questioned how much Ms Frecklington would put towards the project and where her costings were.

“Death tax” claims

Ms Palaszczuk won’t say if she’s concerned that Clive Palmer’s unsubstantiated accusation of a “death tax” is peeling votes away from Labor.

The government has been attacking the claims in recent days, with outgoing Minister Kate Jones even labelling it “bullsh-t” on Tuesday.

Ms Palaszczuk on Wednesday blasted the claims as “not true, not true, not true” as she branded it a scare campaign.

“It’s Clive Palmer and the LNP - they’re together on this,” the Premier said.

“They’re absolutely joined when it comes to this issue and it is not right to scare pensioners when it is not true.”

When asked if she thought the campaign was working, Ms Palaszczuk would not say - again insisting that it was “not fair to scare pensioners”.

Mr Palmer yesterday said a phone call he received from a “treasury official” was the only direct evidence he had that Labor was preparing a 20 per cent death tax.