1 week Ago By Fraser Barton and Laine Clark
There have been scare campaigns, "slogan salads" and alleged political shakedowns. or signup to continue reading Now a "secret recording" has emerged as an eventful Queensland election campaign nears the final turn. Premier Steven Miles has demanded every opposition member declare their abortion stance, describing Liberal National Party leader David Crisafulli as a "very deceitful person" after the latest twist.
The premier saw red after LNP candidate Freya Ostapovitch was reportedly recorded by a Labor branch member saying she was "pro-life" at a polling booth this week. Ms Ostapovitch was allegedly caught out saying she wanted abortion laws changed but "can't say anything" until after the opposition won the October 26 election. "You vote for me, you trust me," Ms Ostapovitch reportedly said in the polling booth conversation first published by The Australian.
"I can't say anything yet because we have got to get elected before we do anything." The candidate for Labor-held Brisbane seat Stretton then allegedly cited a disputed claim that abortion increased the risk of breast cancer. Mr Crisafulli has repeatedly denied abortion laws will be changed if he becomes premier, after the issue was raised by a conservative crossbencher.
Yet he's been unable to say how he will guarantee that. Abortion was decriminalised in Queensland in 2018. Mr Miles said the recording proved the opposition leader was lying about his intentions.
"This is what LNP candidates and MPs are telling people right across the state," he said in Cairns on Friday. "We know they are. It's been reported on.
There's videos of it. It is the truth. "The LNP are saying one thing before the election but intend to do something else after the election and that's what this candidate has done, is just say what they're all thinking.
" The opposition leader had been asked 132 times about the topic by Wednesday's second leadership debate when he was accused of offering a "slogan salad" instead of a straight answer. Many no doubt would have lost count by the end of Friday's media event on the Sunshine Coast, where Mr Crisafulli again firmly maintained his stance. "We as a team are ruling out changes to abortion.
And Freya is committed to that - there's going to be no change," he told reporters at Nambour. The election campaign is close to completing the full bingo card, with another week to go before polling day on October 26, following the recording allegation. Most boxes have been ticked, with a crossbencher claiming the LNP copied their key youth crime policy and both major parties accusing each other of scare campaigns.
The LNP's Gregory candidate Sean Dillon has even told of being beaten up in what he called a political shakedown while campaigning in the state's west. Amid the colourful campaign, Mr Crisafulli has vowed to make false political advertising unlawful if he becomes premier. Mr Miles said he would consider it, before again unloading on his opponent.
"If David Crisafulli really cared about truth in advertising, he would tell the LNP to pull down the deeply misleading patient tax ad that is on high rotation right now," he said. The LNP has been claiming Labor would introduce a "patients tax", which the government has promised to scrap. In turn, Labor has alleged the LNP will privatise satellite hospitals and remove progressive coal royalties.
"Queenslanders don't believe the Labor Party anymore because they've heard all these scare campaigns," Mr Crisafulli said. Polling indicates the LNP will end Labor's nine-year reign. Advertisement Sign up for our newsletter to stay up to date.
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