The Liberal National Party leader, Tim Nicholls, has suffered an unfortunate slip of the tongue on the eve of the Queensland election, stopping just short of telling voters to support a LNP-One Nation government, as a new poll shows Labor looks set to win another term.
The question of how each party plans to deal with One Nation has been the main point of difference between the two campaigns in a state where voters are divided on the issue.
Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk has ruled out working with One Nation, while Nicholls has been unable to answer yes or no to the question, instead saying he will work “with the parliament Queensland elects”, in the event of a hung parliament.
Speaking to Sunrise on Friday morning, Nicholls said: “The simple message is, if you want a government, a stable, majority government with the financial credentials to deliver jobs, to cut your cost of living, to reduce power bills, to invest in infrastructure, than the best thing to do is to support your local LNP/One ... uh, LNP candidate at the election.”
“The best thing to do is support your local LNP, One-N…” Slip of the tongue from @TimNichollsMP on the eve of the QLD election. #sun7 pic.twitter.com/O8GDKCFt12
— Sunrise (@sunriseon7) November 23, 2017
The slip comes as the latest Galaxy poll, published by News Corp, showed Labor was ahead 52 to 48 on the two-party preferred measure, largely due to a pick up in south-east Queensland seats.
That same poll showed One Nation’s support had dropped from a high of 18% to 12% across the state, after a campaign which included its newest Queensland federal senator immediately defecting from the party after being sworn in, and erroneous claims about the safe schools program.
But One Nation is still considered a strong chance to take the regional electorates of Thuringowa, Mirani and Maryborough from Labor, while also winning Lockyer and Hinchinbrook from the LNP.
Labor also faces losing Bundaberg, but has made gains in south-east seats such as Mansfield, Redlands, Toowoomba North, Glasshouse and Mount Ommaney.
Whitsunday, Burdekin and the Brisbane seat of Everton are considered in Labor’s grasp, while Maiwar, home to shadow LNP treasurer Scott Emerson, has come under pressure from a Greens vote, the same issue which is plaguing deputy premier Jackie Trad.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland won’t start counting preferences until Monday, with postal votes to be counted even later, potentially delaying the result.
The commission has reported more than 600,000 pre-poll votes of Queensland’s 3.1 million eligible voters already returning their ballots
