Queensland election: leaders duck on issues of debt

Annastacia Palaszczuk and Tim Nicholls have failed to say how they would slash the state’s ­nation-leading borrowings.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Townsville. Picture: AAP

Queenslanders look set to be stuck with record government debt, after both Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls failed to say how they would slash the state’s ­nation-leading borrowings.

The state’s total government debt will eclipse $81 billion by 2020-21 and, despite the major party leaders insisting they are ­serious about shrinking it, yesterday neither would — or could — detail a debt-reduction strategy.

Mr Nicholls, who has ruled out asset sales, forced ­redundancies and cutting services, which he had previously said were the only ways to demolish debt, could only say he would “stabilise” debt.

“In the economic policy we announced yesterday, we said the first thing we needed to do was stabilise debt over the economic cycle,” he said. “The first thing we need to do is stop things getting worse and under Labor they are getting worse, under Labor debt is going to $81bn. That’s despite $15bn worth of raids, rip-offs and writedowns.”

Mr Nicholls said the LNP would need to “find out what the real numbers are” if it formed government after the November 25 election.

Ms Palaszczuk did not answer several questions about whether she had a current plan to cut debt, after she ordered dividends from state-owned electricity assets be used to reduce voters’ power bills, rather than slash debt.

“Of course we will have a plan to pay down debt,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “That is always a key element of any government and government’s budget.

“The Treasurer will be announcing our funding and costings later on in the campaign.”

Ms Palaszczuk again took aim at Mr Nicholls’ record as the Newman government’s treasurer, castigating him for sacking 14,000 public servants and accusing him of still harbouring a “secret plan” to sell state-owned assets.

But Ms Palaszczuk had no evidence to support her accusation, instead relying on the LNP’s previous — now abandoned — plan to privatise some of government-owned corporations.

“He went to the last election saying he was going to do that,” Ms Palaszczuk said. “And I would not put anything past him ... you cannot trust him on anything he’s said in the past.”

Mr Nicholls denied the claim and then suggested — also without evidence — the government might have its own “secret plan” to deprive the opposition of campaign planes.

The LNP leader has been stuck in southeast Queensland since Ms Palaszczuk called the snap election on Sunday, unable to secure a plane to fly north or west to campaign in must-win regional seats.

Mr Nicholls said it was “extraordinarily difficult” to find planes big enough, but not too big, to be able to carry the opposition staff and media pack.

“Because of the shortness of the time in which the election has been called there are just not planes available,” he said.

“Whether that is part of the government’s plan or not, whether that was part of their secret plan to nobble the opposition, that will be up for them to answer.”

The Premier — who has visited four seats in north Queensland since Sunday night — said Mr Nicholls’ travel plans were his own business.