January 28, 2015 – 10:53AM
Amy Remeikis
Queensland state political reporter
Premier Campbell Newman campaigns at Cannon Hill train station on Wednesday. Photo: Renee Melides
Prime Minister Tony Abbott has blamed “questioners” for stopping Queensland Premier Campbell Newman from focusing on his “strong team with a strong plan”.
The LNP released its costings plan early this week in an attempt to get the government’s campaign back on message after three days of mis-steps.
Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Premier Campbell Newman at the LNP party state convention in July. Photo: Harrison Saragossi
That culminated on Australia Day with the Premier answering every question put to him – including those about Mr Abbott’s knighthood choices and industrial relations reform – with answers relating to jobs, the economy and his strong plan and team.
On Tuesday, Mr Newman said he had been “focused on other things” the Prince Philip knighthood issue, a “bolt from the blue” and saying he disagreed with it.
But when Mr Abbott was asked on Wednesday if he owed Mr Newman an apology for creating the knighthood distraction with his captain’s pick during the last week of a tight state election campaign, the Prime Minister shifted the blame elsewhere.
“He wants to focus on his strong team with a strong plan,” he said.
“I suspect it’s the questioners that have stopped him from doing it.
“My focus is on jobs and families and I’m looking forward to getting back to that as quickly as I can.”
Mr Abbott, who has not appeared in Queensland during the election campaign, said he had conversations with Mr Newman and was “very conscious of the fact that Campbell wants to run his own race”.
“And he’s entitled, as the Premier of Queensland, to run his own campaign,” he said.
“But I am very proud of this Government’s record when it comes to Queensland.
“We repealed the carbon tax, we’ve repealed the mining tax, we’ve committed almost $7 billion to the upgrade of the Bruce Highway, we’ve committed a billion dollars to the Gateway Motorway upgrade, we’ve committed $700 million to the Toowoomba Range crossing, so these are important decisions, in some cases national decisions with particular benefit to Queensland, in other cases they’re Queensland-specific decisions.”
Mr Newman and the LNP have distanced themselves from their federal counterparts, with Mr Newman repeatedly asking voters to judge his government on its own record, and not federal issues.
The election will be held this Saturday.
Source : The Brisbane Times
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