Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has thrown his support behind the Liberal National Party of Queensland as it sets its sights on election victory in October.
Mr Dutton spoke at an LNP conference on Saturday as he called on Queenslanders to support the state’s Liberal party, with the state election just 112 days away.
State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli is currently favourite to take out the state election as recent polling indicates, with Premier Steven Miles having assumed office in December 2023 to a Queensland Labor government that quickly lost support under former leader Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Identifying the fragile position Queensland Labor is in, Mr Dutton used the opportunity to call out Mr Miles as his party continues to lose the faith of residents.
“Steven Miles as we know, has simply taken over the controls of the wrecking ball from Annastacia Palaszczuk. Off the back of huge windfall revenue boosts, from high commodity prices, Queensland’s economy should be strong,” he said.
“But we know that the state Labor government has squandered that good fortune yet again with an unprecedented spending spree.
“Premier Miles is hoping to buy Queenslanders’ votes with a one-off $1,000 electricity rebate for households and a going-out-of-business sale with 50 cent public transport fares for six months.
“It doesn’t get any more cynical than that. And he thinks Queenslanders are stupid and they’re not.”
According to a Redbridge poll last month, the LNP was well in front of Labor with 57 per cent of votes on a two-party preferred basis, while Labor’s primary vote was recorded at 28 per cent.
Mr Dutton said it was clear Queenslanders “had enough” and were ready for “change.”
“Queensland’s economy is deflated. Queensland is damaged and Queenslanders really are dismayed. They’ve had enough,” he said.
“It’s time for someone who understands the hardships Queenslanders are enduring. It’s time for a leader who will bring about change for the better. We know that David Crisafulli will make an outstanding premier of this great state.”
The Queensland election will take place on October 26, 2024.
A win for the LNP would bring an end to an almost decade-long Labor stranglehold on power in the Sunshine State.
Mr Dutton also has his sights firmly on the 2025 federal election with his ambitious nuclear proposal to set to be a flagship plan within his campaign.
The Liberal leader unveiled the Coalition’s highly-anticipated nuclear energy policy at a media conference last month amid weeks of heighted climate debate.
He said the seven proposed nuclear plants will be built on existing sites of aging coal-fired power stations in regional Australia, which are heading into retirement.