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| Queensland: LNP leader has relatability moment, while Labor boxes clever | Queensland: LNP leader has relatability moment, while Labor boxes clever |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Tim Nicholls opens up on family while Annastacia Palaszczuk gets endorsement from boxer Jeff Horn | |
| Amy Remeikis | |
| Sun 19 Nov 2017 07.55 GMT | |
| Last modified on Sun 19 Nov 2017 07.56 GMT | |
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| At the official launch of the LNP campaign, with Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Dutton, George Brandis and Matt Canavan to his left, and Campbell Newman and fellow former premier Rob Borbidge to his right, LNP leader Tim Nicholls almost cried. | At the official launch of the LNP campaign, with Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Dutton, George Brandis and Matt Canavan to his left, and Campbell Newman and fellow former premier Rob Borbidge to his right, LNP leader Tim Nicholls almost cried. |
| Speaking of his family, and the sacrifices they had made as he chased his dream to lead the state, Nicholls, the man who once faced down unionists with a laugh, and waved merrily to protesters, choked up. | Speaking of his family, and the sacrifices they had made as he chased his dream to lead the state, Nicholls, the man who once faced down unionists with a laugh, and waved merrily to protesters, choked up. |
| “Mary,” he said, directing his words to his wife who sat with their children on stage, “I could never do this job without you and I wouldn’t be the man I am today without your love. And without your wisdom.” | “Mary,” he said, directing his words to his wife who sat with their children on stage, “I could never do this job without you and I wouldn’t be the man I am today without your love. And without your wisdom.” |
| It was a moment of authenticity, a relatability his campaign had so far struggled to portray. And delivered as it was to the party faithful, in one of Brisbane’s most popular live music venues, it didn’t reach those who needed to see it most. | It was a moment of authenticity, a relatability his campaign had so far struggled to portray. And delivered as it was to the party faithful, in one of Brisbane’s most popular live music venues, it didn’t reach those who needed to see it most. |
| Nicholls, along with Turnbull then hit the streets in Maiwar, where the LNP’s would-be treasurer Scott Emerson has found himself under siege, following a boundaries shift. It was Turnbull’s first time out on the Queensland hustings. He lost the tie and jacket for the St Lucia walk, where he was deployed as a foil against a growing Greens influence. | Nicholls, along with Turnbull then hit the streets in Maiwar, where the LNP’s would-be treasurer Scott Emerson has found himself under siege, following a boundaries shift. It was Turnbull’s first time out on the Queensland hustings. He lost the tie and jacket for the St Lucia walk, where he was deployed as a foil against a growing Greens influence. |
| Turnbull had told the LNP faithful, who sat in the darkened, converted second world war hanger, bathed in the blue lights from the stage, that the Palaszczuk “do-nothing, lazy, green/left government” had left the state paralysed. | Turnbull had told the LNP faithful, who sat in the darkened, converted second world war hanger, bathed in the blue lights from the stage, that the Palaszczuk “do-nothing, lazy, green/left government” had left the state paralysed. |
| It was that message he hoped to spread in the suddenly marginal Maiwar. | It was that message he hoped to spread in the suddenly marginal Maiwar. |
| An hour and a bit down the road, Labor continued its push into the Gold Coast, holding its own campaign launch on the same day as the LNP, in a region it had all but abandoned a decade ago, but is now seeing red shoots of voting hopes. | An hour and a bit down the road, Labor continued its push into the Gold Coast, holding its own campaign launch on the same day as the LNP, in a region it had all but abandoned a decade ago, but is now seeing red shoots of voting hopes. |
| Labor’s federal leadership was in Sydney, helping Kristina Keneally launch her campaign for the Bennelong byelection. Bill Shorten had visited regional Queensland in the earlier weeks, but with the election being fought on primarily local issues, both parties have been keen to keep federal issues at arm’s length. | Labor’s federal leadership was in Sydney, helping Kristina Keneally launch her campaign for the Bennelong byelection. Bill Shorten had visited regional Queensland in the earlier weeks, but with the election being fought on primarily local issues, both parties have been keen to keep federal issues at arm’s length. |
| Breaking from tradition, Palaszczuk had a celebrity endorsement, with boxing champ Jeff Horn introducing the premier. | Breaking from tradition, Palaszczuk had a celebrity endorsement, with boxing champ Jeff Horn introducing the premier. |
| “She backs my title defence and I back hers,” he said, referencing Palaszczuk’s fight to get his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, who he defeated in a Brisbane-staged fight in July, back to Brisbane. | “She backs my title defence and I back hers,” he said, referencing Palaszczuk’s fight to get his rematch with Manny Pacquiao, who he defeated in a Brisbane-staged fight in July, back to Brisbane. |
| Since resetting her campaign at the halfway point, following almost two weeks of lost messaging time to the Adani rail line issue and then the veto, Palaszczuk has stuck to key messages dealing with jobs, education and health. | Since resetting her campaign at the halfway point, following almost two weeks of lost messaging time to the Adani rail line issue and then the veto, Palaszczuk has stuck to key messages dealing with jobs, education and health. |
| Nicholls has also settled on jobs, infrastructure and community minded policies, such as discounted travel for seniors and free swimming lessons for their grandchildren, as his key messages. | Nicholls has also settled on jobs, infrastructure and community minded policies, such as discounted travel for seniors and free swimming lessons for their grandchildren, as his key messages. |
| But both parties remain keenly aware that this election has become less about them and more about the minor parties who may end up deciding the balance of power. | But both parties remain keenly aware that this election has become less about them and more about the minor parties who may end up deciding the balance of power. |
| After almost three weeks of dancing around the question, Nicholls admitted on Friday he would accept the support of One Nation to form government, in the event of a hung parliament. | After almost three weeks of dancing around the question, Nicholls admitted on Friday he would accept the support of One Nation to form government, in the event of a hung parliament. |
| It has led further credence to Labor’s attack line of a “deal” between the two parties, which began in earnest mid-way through the campaign when the LNP executive announced it was preferencing One Nation in 50 of the 61 seats it is running in. | It has led further credence to Labor’s attack line of a “deal” between the two parties, which began in earnest mid-way through the campaign when the LNP executive announced it was preferencing One Nation in 50 of the 61 seats it is running in. |
| Palaszczuk has said she would rather sit in opposition than govern with One Nation. | Palaszczuk has said she would rather sit in opposition than govern with One Nation. |
| “Through his deal, Tim Nicholls is saying he prefers the values of One Nation,” Palaszczuk said at her launch. | “Through his deal, Tim Nicholls is saying he prefers the values of One Nation,” Palaszczuk said at her launch. |
| “Their values are his. Tim Nicholls is saying he prefers intolerance and exclusion.” | “Their values are his. Tim Nicholls is saying he prefers intolerance and exclusion.” |
| Nicholls, who on Saturday, broke from his positive campaign plan to call Palaszczuk a “liar” multiple times in a 20 minute press conference, says there is no deal. | Nicholls, who on Saturday, broke from his positive campaign plan to call Palaszczuk a “liar” multiple times in a 20 minute press conference, says there is no deal. |
| “I respect Queenslanders and their vote,” he said. | “I respect Queenslanders and their vote,” he said. |
| “I have said there will be no deal with One Nation and I have kept my word. I said I would run a positive campaign and I have kept my word. And I said that Labor would run the mother of all scare campaigns, and all too sadly, that’s proved to be true.” | “I have said there will be no deal with One Nation and I have kept my word. I said I would run a positive campaign and I have kept my word. And I said that Labor would run the mother of all scare campaigns, and all too sadly, that’s proved to be true.” |
| The dual low-key launches followed a trend in this campaign, which has seen the two major parties making duelling policy announcements in the same areas, on the same day. Both parties are about to head on a seat blitz, sandbagging from the Cape to Currumbin, as they look to lock down the path to 47 seats and outright victory. | The dual low-key launches followed a trend in this campaign, which has seen the two major parties making duelling policy announcements in the same areas, on the same day. Both parties are about to head on a seat blitz, sandbagging from the Cape to Currumbin, as they look to lock down the path to 47 seats and outright victory. |
| With more three-way contests in more electorates than any other time in recent Queensland political history, neither major party is confident of victory. | With more three-way contests in more electorates than any other time in recent Queensland political history, neither major party is confident of victory. |
| It was something else the launches appeared to have in common; an atmosphere not of celebration, but of survival. | It was something else the launches appeared to have in common; an atmosphere not of celebration, but of survival. |
| Queensland heads to the polls on 25 November. | Queensland heads to the polls on 25 November. |
| Queensland election 2017 | |
| Queensland politics | |
| Liberal National party | |
| Malcolm Turnbull | |
| Labor party | |
| Annastacia Palaszczuk | |
| features | |
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