Steven Miles and David Crisafulli have gone head-to-head in the first leader’s debate of the State Election campaign.
The two top-job hopefuls expressed their views and pledges on several hot topics currently affecting Queenslanders, including youth crime, health, housing, olympics, and cost-of-living.
The Premier won the coin toss and opened the debate, declaring to those watching on that his party was the best to lead the state.
“This election is all about who Queenslanders trust to tackle the cost of living and to deliver a plan for our state’s future,” he said.
“On cost of living, I took those progressive coal royalties and used them to give $1000 on everybody’s electricity bill, made public transport almost free, cut 20 per cent off rego, and gave every Queensland child $200 so they could play community sport.
“But I also have plans for our state’s future: on healthcare, to get the doctors and nurses and hospital beds that we need, on community safety, to make sure our state is safe, on delivering cheaper energy for the future, and for building homes for Queenslanders.
“On all of these issues, Queenslanders know where I stand and know that I will fight for them.”
LNP leader David Crisafulli then took centre stage, declaring it was time for change.
“In 23 days you can choose change,” he said in his opening address.
“The question you have to ask yourself is after 10 years of Labor, are things better or worse when it comes to youth crime, health, housing, cost of living, and who has got the right plan for Queensland’s future?
“I lead a united team and we have set solutions and targets to deliver the change that Queenslanders need.”
Crisafulli said he is choosing “hope over fear”, claiming he expects a “scare campaign” from Labor in the weeks before the election.
“And I’m asking you to choose hope over fear,” he said.
“We are a great state with a great future… Together, we can build a Queensland we are all proud of.”
Crisafulli also made a shock declaration, pledging that, if elected, he would resign as Premier if he didn’t bring down crime numbers in his first term.
The three-expert panel on Channel Nine declared Crisafulli as the victor of the debate 2-1.
Queenslanders head to the polls on October 26.
