Queensland’s opposition leader has unveiled what she calls “modest policies” at Labor’s campaign launch before focusing on proposed asset sales and the prime minister, Tony Abbott.
Annastacia Palaszczuk’s biggest spend on a single policy at the launch was $240m over four years to fund community and industry organisations as she argued Labor would announce only those policies it could fund without selling assets.
Queensland’s first female premier, Anna Bligh, who led Labor to its loss in 2012, was a notable absence along with the former prime minister, and Brisbane local, Kevin Rudd. Bill Shorten and the former federal ALP leader Bill Hayden led the federal contingent.
Speaking to hundreds of the party’s faithful in Ipswich, a working-class town 40km from Brisbane, Palaszczuk announced a series of low-cost policies.
She promised $200m in regional spending, $50m over three years for an “advance Queensland” program and $34m over three years invested in Tafe.
“My friends, these new policies, the commitments I have announced since late 2012, and several more I will outline before polling day, all represent Labor’s commitment to Queensland’s future,” Palaszczuk said.
“They’re fully costed and fully funded. They are modest and affordable and can be delivered with no new taxes. Queenslanders have had too many broken promises over the last three years, these are promises Queenslanders can see and feel and know will be affordable and sustainable and will make a difference,” she said.
She spent the first 10 minutes attacking the Liberal National party, the premier, Campbell Newman, and the prime minister, who is yet to make an appearance on the campaign trail.
“Before the last federal election it was Campbell Newman who was telling Tony Abbott he should do what the LNP had done here in Queensland,” Palaszczuk said.
“An LNP win here will give him the signal to press on with his agenda: vicious budget cuts, raising the GST, and slowly and slyly chopping away at the great Labor institution, Medicare.”
Palaszczuk was introduced as the next Queensland premier by Shorten, who used his speech to attack the LNP on federal issues such as Medicare and potential changes to the GST.
“We believe in an Australia where your Medicare card, not your credit card, determines the quality of your healthcare,” he said, referring to the federal government’s decision to ditch its $20 cut to the Medicare rebate last week.
Shorten thanked Palaszczuk for her work over the past three years since the Labor party was reduced to just seven elected representatives in the Queensland parliament.
“Don’t stop now, there’s still 11 days to go, you can make Queensland a great destination again,” he said. “Queensland cannot afford another three years of LNP tax and cuts, of slash and sack … Queenslanders want a premier who will stand up for their state and all of their state.”
Like Newman, Palaszczuk referred to the possibility of a hung parliament in her speech, repeating her promise not to do any deals with minor parties.
The Labor launch came two days after the LNP’s, which was a low-key affair with no federal speakers on the stage and $1bn for education and $2bn to reduce water bills as the policy centrepieces.