Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli will lock horns in an election debate as Queenslanders prepare to head to the polls.
The top-job hopefuls will go head-to-head on the Nine Network at 7.30pm (AEST) in Brisbane on Thursday before a second debate at the Queensland media club 10 days before the election.
Both leaders kicked off their campaigns in regional centres where key issues such as cost-of-living, health, housing and crime are pertinent.
Mr Miles is gunning for a full-term as premier after replacing Annastacia Palaszcuk in December, while Mr Crisafulli hopes to end Labor’s nine-year reign.
Polls are pointing to a change of government on October 26, with the Liberal National Party leading 56 to 46 per cent on a two-party preferred basis.
And the Labor Party’s hopes of re-election took a hammer blow in Townsville on Wednesday when Katter’s Australian Party said it would preference the opposition at the ballot box.
It is the first time Robbie Katter and his KAP team of now four has preferenced anyone, with Mr Katter saying it’s due to key issues not being addressed.
“We’ve never preferenced against Liberal or Labor anywhere in Queensland,” he said.
“But we’re going to do it this time because we feel (Labor) need to be sent a message somewhere in north Queensland.”
Mr Miles wasn’t surprised by the decision and said his government would continue to fight to govern in its own right with a focus on cost of living.
The premier and senior ministers announced on day two of the campaign that Labor would establish a state-wide publicly-owned energy retailer if re-elected.
The retailer would use existing infrastructure and be up and running within 12 months, the premier said.
Mr Crisafulli pledged $30 million towards an agriculture innovation fund to attract research opportunities to improve the sector.
