Inspiration absent as Queensland election campaigns lack vision THE COURIER-MAIL JANUARY 21, 2015 12:00AM QUEENSLANDERS are looking for “hope instead of blame”, Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk told the party faithful at Labor’s campaign launch in Ipswich yesterday: “They are,” she said, “looking for ideas instead of slogans; they are looking for vision not division.” Very few people would argue with those sentiments. But they came a long way in to Ms Palaszczuk’s campaign launch speech yesterday – the first 10 minutes of which was largely devoted to chronicling the alleged failings, betrayals and apparent arrogance of the Newman LNP Government. With just 10 days remaining before polling day Labor largely appears to be campaigning on a back to the future platform: let’s forget the Newman experiment, and start over where we left off in 2012, but under different (albeit more or less the same) management. The centrepiece of the Opposition’s so-called economic blueprint – a “fiscal plan” unveiled on Friday afternoon, that part of the week known as the “bring out your dead” timeslot – is essentially a return to what was. Labor’s asset sales position, a reversal on its previous position when in government, is a promise not to do something, rather than a recipe for action or reform – and the gradual pay-down of the state’s debt mountain while vowing to keep a lid on spending looks a lot like the course plotted by former treasurer Andrew Fraser in his 2012 budget. Beyond that, voters have been offered not much more than vague promises to invest in jobs via education and training programs and employer incentives – pledges containing many policy elements of Labor’s last term in office in Queensland, including restoration of the Skilling Queenslanders for Work program. Other Labor promises are also aimed at re-establishing something of the status quo of three years ago, notably in areas such as the environment (tree clearing), and the Advance Queensland package, elements of which hark back to former premier Peter Beattie’s Smart State formula. For his part Premier Campbell Newman – as an incumbent running on his record – is also offering more of the same: “strong” on everything from fiscal management to law and order, public health reform and administration, and pro-development policies. The difference is, the LNP’s record on all those fronts is actually strong. An assessment supported by Galaxy and Newspoll polls that have them ahead on the key measures. And so the battlelines are drawn: this will be an election contest in which, despite the rhetoric, voters are unlikely to be swayed by any grand vision but rather a battle of negatives and personal (un)popularity. In short it boils down to thousands of Queenslanders likely deciding to vote for a leader in Ms Palaszczuk from whom they may draw little inspiration, but because it is a vote against a leader in Mr Newman. Certainly the tone of the campaign so far has not evoked the passion for positive change that campaigns such as those led by the likes of Wayne Goss, Bob Hawke, or even Mr Newman himself in 2012, have in elections past. Just as we noted last week after the Labor Opposition unveiled its problematic economic plan, if Queenslanders are going to be asked to throw out a competent, albeit at times confrontational Government, they need to be given a genuine alternative. And a genuine alternative needs to be able to convince sceptical Queenslanders, still scarred from the economic vandalism of the Bligh government, that they are fair dinkum about competently running a modern, complex economy. Unfortunately for voters toying with the idea of electing Labor into power just three years after being chucked out of office, Ms Palaszczuk’s pitch at the campaign launch provided few answers to the simple question: how will you manage the economy? Ms Palaszczuk, in an upbeat performance, her best yet, delivered a message short of substance on all the key areas Queenslanders most care about – the economy, law and order, education and health. Queensland Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk launching her campaign in Ipswich.
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 11:43:06 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015