Queensland election 2015: Campbell Newman will not guarantee projects if LNP members not elected

Extract from ABC News

By Eric Tlozek and staff

Updated yesterday at 2:55pm Sat 24 Jan 2015, 2:55pm

Campbell Newman says he cannot guarantee the Liberal National Party's big spending promises, even those with bipartisan support, if the party wins government but not the seat a project is in.

The Queensland Premier's comments came as the latest Newspoll survey showed a swing of up to 13 per cent against the LNP in three key seats across the state.
Speaking in Toowoomba this morning, Mr Newman said electorates that did not vote in an LNP member might not get the infrastructure the party had promised.
He said that even applied to communities where projects have bipartisan support, such as Townsville's new stadium.
In December, Queensland Labor promised to commit $100 million for the stadium if it formed government in 2015, while the LNP this month promised to put up to $150 million towards a new stadium and retail precinct.
Mr Newman said although he could not guarantee every commitment, every electorate in Queensland would get its fair share of support if the LNP was re-elected.
"We can't make commitments, of course we can't, nor can we bind the hands of someone from the other side of the political fence if they become the local member and that's our point," Mr Newman said.
"You only get these things if you have strong representation from an LNP member."
Mr Newman said infrastructure funding was a "matter of priorities".
"Every electorate in Queensland, I will say this, should get its fair share and they will get their fair share," he said.
"The priorities we are outlining, the ones derived from three years of listening and consultation, are things that we believe are the best projects or initiatives to take a community forward and only the LNP team can deliver them."
While in Toowoomba, Mr Newman pledged to create 2,000 new jobs in health and construction in the region over the next three to four years.
Opposition Leader Annastacia Palaszczuk said voters "cannot guarantee any of Mr Newman's promises".
"He still can't say whether he will get value for the assets that he has on the table," she said, in reference to the LNP's plan to raise funds by leasing state-owned assets.

Newspoll reveals 13 per cent swing against LNP

Meanwhile, the latest Newspoll survey has shown a swing of up to 13 per cent against the LNP in the electorates of Cairns, in the far north, Ipswich West, 40km outside of Brisbane, and Keppel, near Rockhampton.
The poll of 608 voters, published in today's Australian newspaper, was taken earlier this week.
It found that in those three seats, Labor's primary vote had jumped 16 points to 47 per cent, with the LNP's vote collapsing more than eight points to 43.5 per cent.
On a two-party preferred basis, Labor led the LNP 56 per cent to 44 per cent - a swing of 13 per cent.
If the support remained unchanged until election day, Ipswich West, held on a margin of 7.2 per cent and Keppel, held on 6.4 per cent, would almost certainly fall to Labor, the Australian said.
Cairns, on 8.9 per cent, would be a tight contest.
Forty-six per cent of people said Ms Palaszczuk would make the better premier, compared to Mr Newman, who polled 36 per cent.
When asked about Mr Newman's performance as Premier, 60 per cent said they were dissatisfied and 32 per cent were satisfied.
The maximum margin of sampling error on the Newspoll is plus or minus 4 percentage points.

Labor pledges $6 million for review of teacher classification

Ms Palaszczuk spent Saturday morning campaigning in Brisbane, where she announced $6 million for a review into top teacher classifications in Queensland should her party form government.
She said she wanted to create two new top level classifications to keep the best teachers in the classroom but would first fund a panel to decide how best to do it.
She denied it was little more than a plan for a plan.
"The next three years we'll be focused on making sure that we put in place a committee which is made up of teachers and the Department of Education to set the parameters right," she said.

"And don't forget too, it's the QIRC, the independent umpire, that will determine the wage."