Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk says she will campaign for a historic fourth term as the underdog as she commits to strengthening integrity measures before next year’s election.
Asked about recent YouGov polling published in The Courier-Mail that puts the LNP opposition marginally ahead in the two-party preferred race, Ms Palaszczuk conceded Labor had work to do.
“It means that we’re definitely the underdog when it comes to the next election,” she told reporters in Bundaberg on Wednesday.
“We have to fight every single day.
“The people of Queensland know me, they know that I care about them, they know that I’m absolutely focused.”
Liberal National Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said the state government was failing to act on promised integrity reforms following the landmark Coaldrake Review last year.
“The Palaszczuk government’s only focus is seeing the sun rise on a fourth term in office (but) not letting the sun shine in to heal the integrity crisis,” he said.
“It’s very simple, Queenslanders deserve a government that’s transparent and accountable, with a focus on delivering for our state, rather than covering up its own failures.”
At the time, Ms Palaszczuk said she was taking “personal responsibility” to make certain the report’s 14 recommendations were implemented, among them the proactive release of cabinet papers within 30 days.
The premier said there had been “substantial progress” on the reforms, and a second stage of legislation will be introduced to parliament next month.
Further changes to lobbying laws are likely to be included in the new bill.
“We’ve got some of the toughest lobbying regulations in Australia, Professor Peter Coaldrake looked at some options to make that tighter, and we are strengthening that,” Ms Palaszczuk said.
© AAP 2023
