Queensland election: Steven Miles defends claims $1.4bn lunch plan ‘undercooked’

Steven Miles has again defended his decision to plunge the state into further debt by borrowing $1.4bn to provide free lunch to every Queensland state primary student, and launched fresh attacks over the LNP’s position on abortion.

Queensland Premier Steven Miles at Meals on Wheels at Barlow Park in Cairns on Friday. Picture: Adam Head

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles.

Steven Miles has again defended his decision to plunge the state into further debt by borrowing $1.4bn to provide free lunch to every Queensland state primary school student as he launched fresh attacks over the Liberal National Party’s position on abortion.

The Queensland Premier used his formal campaign launch last weekend to reveal Labor would repurpose a Greens policy and provide free lunch to the state’s 326,000 primary students from Term 1, 2025.

School groups have warned the pledge, which will help Labor sandbag key inner-city Brisbane seats at risk of falling to the Greens, was undercooked and could prove to be a logistical nightmare, with the program due to start just 94 days after the state election.

Quizzed in Cairns on Friday about details of the plan, Mr Miles was unable to say how many extra staff would need to be hired to roll out the free lunches.

“Well, it depends on the model, but costed into this model is that you can deliver these meals for $8 each,” he said.

Mr Miles said every state primary school would get to choose if they wanted to hire extra staff to prepare the lunches or outsource to a “a local Meals on Wheels, a local cafe or another NGO”.

“I think most of our schools would be capable of delivering meals like this now, with additional staffing, and that’s built into the costings,” he said.

The state government already funds free breakfast and lunch programs for “vulnerable” children.

Federal Treasurer Jim Chalmers told ABC Radio National on Friday he still believes Labor could win the election, adding that most Queenslanders viewed the one-term LNP Newman government (2012-15) as a “really dark period” in the state’s history.

“It’s a very simple choice: The Miles Labor government, which is all about helping people with the cost of living, versus an LNP, which is all about savage cuts,” Dr Chalmers said.

“I listen intently to the economic part of this election campaign here in Queensland, and David Crisafulli says that he won’t increase taxes, he’ll balance the budget, and he’s made billions and billions of dollars of commitments, and that can only mean one thing, and that’s savage cuts to essential services.

“David Crisafulli, he is basically Campbell Newman.”

Mr Miles also seized on explosive comments from an LNP candidate, reported in The Australian on Friday, who was caught out telling people at an early voting booth this week that she wanted abortion legislation overhauled.

Accusing the LNP of “saying whatever they needed to” win the election, Mr Miles said it would be impossible for LNP leader David Crisafulli to fulfil his promise of “no changes” to abortion laws.

“After the election, they will have a conscience vote,” he said.

“The Katters’ bill will be put to the parliament, and it will pass or fail based on the number of MPs for pro-life or pro-choice.

“He knows he cannot stop a change to the state’s abortion laws, even if he wanted to.”

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli in Nambour on Friday. Picture: Liam Kidston

Mr Crisafulli will not disendorse his Stretton candidate, Freya Ostapovich, with whom he served in parliament from 2012-2015, after she undermined his leadership and broke ranks on abortion this week.

In a conversation about abortion outside a pre-polling booth, recorded by a Labor branch member and heard by The Australian, Ms Ostapovich voiced her strong pro-life views and said: “You vote for me, you trust me. I can’t say anything yet because we have got to get elected before we do anything.”

She immediately backed down from her position when contacted by The Australian about her comments on Thursday.

Mr Crisafulli on Friday said Ms Ostapovich had “committed to our position as a team”, denying there was a disconnect between her private and public views.

“Let me be categorically unequivocal, there will be no changes to abortion laws. And that is the position, not just of me, of my team – and you’ve asked many of my team, and many of them are on the record – there will be no changes to abortion laws in Queensland,” Mr Crisafulli said.

Asked whether he would give his MPs a conscience vote on abortion, Mr Crisafulli again refused to say.

“You’re talking about the vehicle to deliver something. I’m talking to you about the outcome, and there will be no change,” he said.

LNP Nicklin candidate Marty Hunt voted against the decriminalisation of abortion in 2018, when the issue was last before parliament. When he lost his seat in 2020, pro-life group Cherish Life described it as a “sad day” and called him “one of our best pro-life politicians”.

Standing next to Mr Crisafulli at a press conference in Nambour, Mr Hunt refused to say whether he had changed his mind in four years since Cherish Life had made the statement.

“The team has made it clear, and I’m proud to stand with the team and make the commitment that the team made, that there will be no changes to the abortion laws,” he said.

Mr Hunt said he had no affiliation with Cherish Life, and said when he doorknocked the seat, people wanted to talk to him about community safety, access to health services, cost of living and youth crime.

Asked how he would vote in a conscience vote, Mr Hunt said: “I’m committed to no changes with the team.”