Clear lines are being drawn in the first hours of the Queensland election campaign, with an anti-Adani protester disrupting the Queensland Premier's media conference and LNP leader Tim Nicholls has again ruled out forming a coalition with One Nation.
Key points:
- Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she called election to give certainty for business and industry
- LNP leader Tim Nicholls says there will be no coalition deal with One Nation
- Adani, ETU protesters disrupt leaders' press conferences in Brisbane
Annastacia Palaszczuk called on acting Governor, Chief Justice Catherine Holmes, shortly before 11:00am on Sunday to dissolve Parliament.
A short time later, Ms Palaszczuk faced the media at Darra Bowls Club to formally announce the election date.
"I'm calling this election to give business and industry in our great state the certainty they need as we approach 2018," she said.
"Together we have secured the lowest unemployment rate in four years."
At this point, an anti-Adani protester interrupted proceedings, asking Ms Palaszczuk not to "give $1 billion to the Adani mine" and to instead fund jobs in renewable energy.
As the protester was led away, Ms Palaszczuk replied: "We are delivering renewable energy. There's over $3 billion in renewable investment in this state creating thousands of jobs in regional Queensland and we will back renewable energy".
"The choice facing Queenslanders is simple — a stable Labor Government with a solid record and a clear plan focused on Queensland's future or a cobbled-together LNP-One Nation government that will cut frontline services, sack frontline staff and sell our electricity assets."
Two Adani protesters also turned up at Mr Nicholls' event, but his loudest protesters came from Electrical Trades Union (ETU) members, who heckled the LNP leader throughout his speech about his now-abandoned plan to lease assets.
Campbell Newman says LNP needs One Nation
Former LNP premier Campbell Newman told Sky News that Mr Nicholls would not win enough seats to govern without One Nation support on the floor of parliament.
"One Nation will win seats, there's no doubt in my mind — anywhere between five and 10, I'm happy to say that," Mr Newman said.
"So ultimately the Labor Party is going to lose some seats, the LNP are going to lose some seats.
"Nicholls, if he wants to be premier, has to have their support.
"He can say whatever he likes, but that's the only way I see the LNP being able to form government."
But speaking on Sunday afternoon, Mr Nicholls ruled out again a coalition with One Nation, but has not shut the door on minority government with crossbench support.
"I've ruled it out on countless occasions, let me say it again — there will be no deal with One Nation, there will be no coalition and no shared ministry," Mr Nicholls said.
"Put simply, a vote for One Nation is a vote for another three years of do-nothing Labor."
Mr Nicholls said an LNP government would not sell assets and would not impose forced redundancies on the public service.
"A future LNP government, having learnt from our mistakes in the past, will govern for all Queenslanders and get on with building a better Queensland.
"Our plans will create new jobs, support small businesses, invest in education to raise standards and we will provide better services for families and retirees."
An election became inevitable on Friday when Ms Palaszczuk directed the ALP to disendorse the member for Pumicestone, Rick Williams, over a complaint that he threatened a local constituent.
She acknowledged yesterday it had given her a lot to think about on election timing, describing the disendorsement as "an extraordinary step".
Earlier last week, Ms Palaszczuk had said it would take something extraordinary for her to consider going to an election this year.
The move against Mr Williams leaves Labor and the LNP with 41 seats each, meaning State Parliament was unlikely to sit again in mid-November.
At a media conference on Saturday afternoon, Mr Williams said he had not thought the Premier would use the altercation against him.
"They've [the ALP] used my vote for the past 33 months and then they go and do this to me."
Polls offer no clear sign of outcome
Opinion polls suggest that voters remain to be convinced that either Ms Palaszczuk or Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls should get a majority, setting the scene for a 28-day campaign that will be a crucial test for all sides.
The ALP will try to assure the electorate it's had a steady hand on the economic levers — reducing trend unemployment to just under 6 per cent — while reminding voters of Mr Nicholls' role as treasurer in the previous Newman government.
The LNP campaign will paint the Palaszczuk government as a "do-nothing" administration, beholden to unions.
The result will be made more unpredictable by the historic return of full preferential voting, new boundaries for most seats and a predicted resurgence in popularity for Pauline Hanson's One Nation party.
It is the last time a premier had the discretion to name the poll date, after laws were passed to set the following election for October 31, 2020, and every four years after that.
It is also the first election since 1986 that will increase the size of the parliament, with four more seats bringing the new total to 93.
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