Tensions high in #qldpol as Labor and LNP launch Twitter election missiles.
The Queensland media has today reacted to antics in parliament and in #qldpol by speculating that a snap Queensland election is imminent. Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk began the morning session by listing her government’s achievements.
“My government keeps its commitments from Coolangatta to Cape York and the Torres Strait. Before the election we made 553 commitments to the people of Queensland. The progress report I table today shows that in office we had delivered 484 or 87 per cent of those commitments by 30 June this year,” she said before tabling the paper, Progress report on government election commitments, June 2017.
I was reminding @AnnastaciaMP that under her watch costs of living rising. Power, rego & water prices and unemployment all up! #qldpol
— Jarrod Bleijie (@JarrodBleijieMP) August 9, 2017
MPs followed her with a succession of ministerial speeches which were entered into Hansard as, Palaszczuk Labor Government, Achievements fueling election speculation.
Treasurer @Curtis_Pitt_MP summing up the term…
Cancel holidays. @abcnews #qldpol
— Chris O'Brien (@COBrienBris) August 9, 2017
DP @jackietrad continues spruiking gov alleged achievements. Feel a theme developing here #qldpol
— 💉💉Patrick Condren (@PatrickCondren) August 9, 2017
Now I'm nervous. First sod-turning Tville stadium next Friday. AND ministers doing end of term FIGJAM speeches @9NewsQueensland
— Shane Doherty (@ShaneDoherty9) August 9, 2017
As someone who is about to go to Italy, I'm starting to get worried that Ministers are summing up their term achievements. 😱 #qldpol
— Tegan George (@tegangeorge) August 9, 2017
Ministers talking about how great they are, attack ads rolling out. #qldpol pic.twitter.com/YbYVnOr3sm
— Geoff Egan (@geoffegan) August 10, 2017
Is it time to pack my bags @AnnastaciaMP? Election in September? #qldpol https://t.co/I2AyRtKPok
— Felicity Caldwell (@fel_caldwell) August 10, 2017
The LNP Twitter account fired the first shot into #qldpol but it was a fizzer. It failed to get much attention, most likely because it appeared as a dark grey image.
Does @QLDLabor know anything other than hitting your family budget? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/TE5z5WyG3h
— LNP – Liberal National Party (@LNPQLD) August 10, 2017
Minutes later, the attack ad response from the Queensland Labor Twitter account did get the media’s attention as a salvo hit Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls.
Who is Tim Nicholls? He’s the man who cut 24,000 Queensland jobs. But there’s more… #qldpol pic.twitter.com/ip6Y9DKezi
— Queensland Labor (@QLDLabor) August 10, 2017
Mr Nicholls reacted about thirty minutes later claiming a nasty campaign had begun.
I said @QLDLabor & @AnnastaciaMP will run a nasty, untrue scare campaign & refuse to run on its record. Today we have more proof. #qldpol
— Tim Nicholls MP (@TimNichollsMP) August 10, 2017
The LNP Twitter account then fired upon Labor.
Hey @QLDLabor here's a better ad and everything in ours is true. (Make sure you turn up the volume) #qldpol pic.twitter.com/v4aEm7ELw6
— LNP – Liberal National Party (@LNPQLD) August 10, 2017
Attack of the attack ads…the #qldpol election campaign you have when you're not having a campaign – yet. https://t.co/NNVs0LiQhG
— Sarah Elks (@sarahelks) August 10, 2017
We could be heading to the polls very soon, with an early election looking increasingly likely. @ShaneDoherty9 #QldPol #9News pic.twitter.com/o2lSrzsitJ
— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) August 10, 2017
https://twitter.com/ABCNewsBrisbane/status/895521278508937216
Date speculation and barbs began to flow from MPs and party supporters.
Can someone explain to @LNPQLD that Qld is going into four year fixed terms. pic.twitter.com/pN8vHka7B4
— Dee Madigan (@deemadigan) August 10, 2017
Dee, the Premier isn't telling us when the election is, can you? So much for her putting Qlders first… #qldpol
— LNP – Liberal National Party (@LNPQLD) August 10, 2017
Still no reply from @TimNichollsMP. As per usual, he likes to deny the facts & re-write history, but Qld will never forget his cuts #qldpol pic.twitter.com/Z5OMso7h0T
— Queensland Labor (@QLDLabor) August 10, 2017
So the actual date doesn't matter too much, the campaign has started. @abcnews #qldpol https://t.co/qK6bgzoPcU
— Chris O'Brien (@COBrienBris) August 10, 2017
Next terms: #qldpol @abcnews pic.twitter.com/WCuqtEwu9G
— Chris O'Brien (@COBrienBris) August 10, 2017
However, the Queensland Governor was nonchalantly going about official business in the House.
Bumped into students from St John's #ForestLake while at Parliament House which is where Executive Council is held in sitting weeks #qldpol pic.twitter.com/MhaQIP4wlE
— Governor of Queensland (@QldGovernor) August 10, 2017
Brisbane Times journalist Felicity Caldwell pointed out the earliest possible election date.
“If Ms Palaszczuk went to the see the governor next week, a minimum 26-day campaign would set the election date at Saturday, September 9. A maximum 56-day campaign would put the next election in October. Ms Palaszczuk has repeatedly said the election was due next year,” she wrote.
Premier Palaszczuk also informed the House that she would be away from Brisbane this weekend and the following week whilst traveling to Mt Isa, the electorate of Mirani, Townsville and Kingaroy.
In May, NoFibs reported on probable election timing.
Night time news reports
Premier @AnnastaciaMP is in Mount Isa this evening along with reporter @brittneykleyn_9. #QldPol #9News pic.twitter.com/NQENZSd8X7
— 9News Queensland (@9NewsQueensland) August 11, 2017
-Ends