Queensland’s major parties’ leaders will face off for the final time during the election campaign at the second leaders’ debate on Oct 30.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk will again take on Liberal National Party leader Deb Frecklington, this time at the Queensland Media Club.
Unlike the Sky News/Courier-Mail debate earlier in the week, the leaders are expected to field tougher questions.
Palaszczuk was backed by 53 percent of the audience compared to 30 percent for Frecklington and 17 percent remaining undecided.
The premier’s strategy then was to attack the opposition leader over costings and she’s likely to continue that line of offence on Friday.
The LNP released their election costings on Thursday, revealing they would reallocate $3.1 billion from the public service to fund their election promises.
They would also dip into $4 billion in borrowings already made by Labor.
Opposition Treasury spokesman Tim Mander said his party’s election promises will only cost $5.05 billion over the next four years.
“We have plans that will immediately stimulate the economy and provide employment … but we also have long-term plans as well,” he said.
Palaszczuk is likely to continue her attacks on the LNP costings at the debate.
However, it may not even matter with many voters having already cast their ballots.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland said 440,000 postal votes had been returned and 950,000 had cast their ballots at pre-poll centres by Thursday afternoon.
That means at least 1.39 million or 44 percent of Queensland’s 3.3 million voters have already made their decision.
Both leaders are expected to go on a campaigning blitz over the final 48 hours before polls close.
Premier Palaszczuk is again heading to the regions on Friday afternoon.
Queensland polling day is on Saturday.
