George Brandis (Queensland, Liberal Party, Attorney-General) Share this | Hansard source

No, I don't think he is, Senator Chisholm. I know that you were involved in the Queensland election campaign, as was I, so you're the last person to whom I need to point out that the Queensland election campaign was entirely fought on state issues.

Now, of course, all state election campaigns have a national dimension, and particularly in a state as big as Queensland. Of course they have a national dimension, but, as you well know, Senator Chisholm, the issues in the Queensland election campaign were state issues. The LNP mounted a critique of the government of Annastacia Palaszczuk as a do-nothing Labor government—from which, by the way, I don't for a moment resile—and the ALP mounted a critique of Tim Nicholls and his LNP colleagues as being, as they had it, 'under the shadow of Campbell Newman'.

As you also know, the Adani coalmine was a very big issue in the election campaign, particularly in relation to the state government's attitude towards supporting an application for NAIF funding. And there was the question that the Labor Party prosecuted, with some success I'm bound to say, about the possibility of a hung parliament. I might say we don't yet know whether there will be a hung parliament, and we wait to see whether Annastacia Palaszczuk, in the event that her party does not have an absolute majority of seats, keeps to her word of no deals with any crossbench or minor party.

But, Senator Chisholm, as you know, and I don't detect any vigorous dissent from what I'm saying, it was an election fought on state issues. We both know that. It was an election in which the Labor Party did quite well—may I congratulate you; may I congratulate Premier Palaszczuk on her relative success—but to suggest that it was fought on federal issues, as we both know, is fanciful.