Queensland election: Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk heads into her toughest seat
Queensland Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has been accused of “buttering up” a powerful rival as the state heads towards a tight election battle.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk headed west on Wednesday morning, parachuting into the state’s toughest electorate on just the second day of the election campaign.
Decked out in hi-vis and surrounded by local support, the Labor leader spruiked a previously announced CopperString project aimed at reducing electricity prices by better connecting power between Mt Isa and Townsville.
The local electorate of Traeger looms as the toughest seat to swing towards Labor, as it’s held by Robbie Katter of Katter’s Australian Party with a whopping margin of 28.5 per cent.
This is very much the land of Bob Katter’s son, who has occupied power in this region for more than eight years.
“Our economic strategy is underpinned by traditional strengths like the resources industry,” Ms Palaszczuk said under the glaring sunshine.
RELATED: NSW records three new cases of community transmission
After the Mt Isa mayor and former Labor candidate Danielle Slade thanked the Premier for her handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Ms Palaszczuk was asked if the CopperString announcement was a ploy to “butter up” Mr Katter ahead of a possible hung parliament.
“Definitely not,” the Labor leader said.
“This has been something my government has championed every single step of the way.
“It’s going to mean cheaper power prices for the industries to establish here. We want a competitive price for industries to come here, to set up, and to manufacture here.
“That will eventually drive down power prices when you have it connected to the national electricity market.”
Ms Palaszczuk addressed the media at the same time New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian told reporters in Sydney that her state had recorded three community transmissions of coronavirus cases.
The Queensland Premier has been steadfast on her position borders won’t open between the two states until there has been 28 days without community spread of the deadly pandemic.
“With relation to community transmission,” Ms Palaszczuk told reporters in Mt Isa. “We have always said that we want to watch very carefully what happens in NSW over the next fortnight as they go into school holidays.”
Ms Berejiklian delivered a stinging barb to her northern counterpart, suggesting there is no way the state would ever be able to go four weeks with no local cases.
“We have to assume during the course of the pandemic that from time to time we’re always going to have this,” she said.
“We’re always going to have cases pop up because we’re in a pandemic but also in an economy that is open … where we don’t have borders but for Victoria.
“So I say to the Queensland Government, I appreciate you’ll probably come out today and say the 28 days is ticking again from the start, but I will put to you – until the end of the pandemic, it’s highly unlikely, highly improbable that NSW will ever get to 28 days of no community transmission because that is not how a pandemic works.
“Queensland and WA have the luxury of closing their borders, so they have a higher chance of having zero community transmitted cases.”
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