Northern exposure: A quick visit to the Governor and then it’s over the top with Steve
North Queensland is shaping as the make-or-break region for the state election as campaigning officially kicks off.
Less than an hour after the government entered caretaker mode on Tuesday, Premier Steven Miles flew to Townsville for his first pitch to voters.
“I love campaigning because it’s when you really get a chance to get around Queensland, to meet with lots of Queenslanders, and to outline to them my plans … to take our state forward,” he told reporters.
North Queensland seats appear likely to sway the October 26 poll, with experts predicting a “big swing” in favour of the opposition.
The Labor government has 51 seats in Queensland parliament after losing Ipswich West at a March by-election.
Of those seats, 23 are held by a margin of less than 10 per cent.
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Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli has consistently led the polls, with regional areas some of the worst hit by key election issues – youth crime, housing, health and cost-of-living pressures.
Parties will look to rally voters in crime-plagued northern electorates such as Barron River, Cairns, Townsville and Cook, all marginally held by Labor.
The Liberal National Party had a head start with voters in the north on Monday, promising a $100 million boost for youth crime intervention programs and a turtle rehabilitation centre in Cairns.
The opposition on Tuesday set its sights on Bundaberg, held by Labor on a 0.01 per cent margin, with the LNP leader making a brief stop in the region north of Brisbane.
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The LNP on Tuesday committed to $40 million in grants for businesses to install CCTV, safety lighting and alarm systems to deter crime.
Polling tips a convincing LNP election win, with Freshwater Strategy figures on Monday indicating LNP leads Labor by 56 per cent to 44 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
The Labor government has previously conceded it was the election underdog, yet Mr Miles gave the party a vote of confidence.
“Every election in Queensland’s really hard, but I’m confident that the plans we will outline to Queenslanders over the next few weeks are good plans for our state’s future,” he said on Tuesday.
Mr Miles showcased his 50-cent fare scheme, which he has promised to make permanent if re-elected, by catching the bus to Government House to kick-start the election process on Tuesday.
The government went into caretaker mode on Tuesday morning after Mr Miles visited Governor Jeannette Young, officially starting the countdown to the October 26 poll.
Even with a steady lead over the last six months, Mr Crisafulli on Monday claimed the LNP was “behind the eight ball”, pointing to the state’s election history.
Labor has won 11 of the past 12 state elections, with Campbell Newman the last LNP premier in Queensland from 2012 to 2015.
