Undecided voters get the chance to grill Premier, LNP leader in final debate of campaign
The two men vying to lead Queensland will be grilled by undecided voters on key election issues at the final of three election debates in Brisbane.
Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli will go toe-to-toe again in a televised debate on Tuesday, four days before voters hit polling booths.
More than a fifth of the Sunshine State’s 3.68 million eligible voters have cast early ballots.
Mr Crisafulli has campaigned firmly on crime and health as his tour-de-Queensland nears its pointy end.
He has sensationally staked his leadership on major issues at both previous debates.
Mr Crisafulli said he would resign if crime numbers did not decline under an LNP government and pledged the same if his team made any changes to abortion laws.
Abortion laws have become a thorn in the LNP’s side since a conservative crossbencher threw a grenade at its feet, declaring he would introduce a private members bill to change the laws.
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Mr Miles has mainly focused on the cost of living and health while visiting marginal seats across the eastern seaboard.
The premier is chasing his own four-year term after replacing former leader Annastacia Palaszczuk in December.
He has ushered the state along the renewables path via emissions reduction legislation.
Both major parties have downplayed any shift to nuclear energy, as proposed by federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.
Mr Dutton is seeking to build seven nuclear plants across Australia if he wins office in 2025.
Two of the sites are at existing Queensland power plants in Tarong and Callide.
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Nuclear energy is banned in Queensland under legislation and the premier will call for a plebiscite on the issue at the 2025 federal election if Labor wins in four days.
“‘I’ve said to Queenslanders that I will use every power available to block Peter Dutton’s plan,” the premier told reporters in Cairns.
“And you know David Crisafulli would not do that.”
Mr Crisafulli has consistently said a shift to nuclear was not part of the LNP’s plans.
He leads the government 55 to 45 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis according to the latest News Corp polling.
“I’m just saying to Queenslanders, ‘if you want change, you have to vote for change’,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“The scare campaigns being run at the moment out of the state government show you how desperate they are.
“Queenslanders know our plan, they know what we’re taking to the election and they know that they need a fresh start.”
Tuesday’s debate, co-hosted by Sky News and the Courier Mail, will be televised from 7.30pm (AEDT).
