Qld premier rules out working with One Nation 'juggernaut'

Queensland Premier David Crisafulli has firmly rejected the possibility of collaborating with the One Nation political party. Speaking in an interview as his government commemorates its second anniversary, Crisafulli reiterated his priority on reducing youth crime rates, acknowledging that further steps are needed to tackle the cost-of-living crisis.

Political analyst Tony Barry noted that the rising cost of living could pose a significant challenge for the incumbent government against the growing influence of One Nation. The premier emphasized his government's commitment to addressing youth crime, stating it as their top focus and citing early promising signs. Despite the LNP's electoral success on its adult crime and incarceration policy, the government has cut back on Labor-era energy rebates, opting for targeted measures instead, even though they described the cost of living as a major issue.

Barry highlighted that if an election were held immediately, the Crisafulli government would likely retain power, while also predicting a slight gain for One Nation. However, he warned that the pervasive cost of living issue could pose a challenge to the incumbents if they fail to deliver results over the next two years. Former premier Campbell Newman, who is now part of the Libertarian Party, expressed reservations about the government's fiscal conservatism, citing a credit rating downgrade due to soaring debt and interest costs, which is forecast to reach $216 billion by 2029-30.

Crisafulli defended his government's approach, attributing the debt increase to the previous Labor administration, and stressed the need to balance financial responsibility with investments in critical services like youth programs, crime prevention, health, housing, and cost of living relief. Barry also pointed out that the upcoming 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games would be a crucial test for the government, as they must ensure these large-scale infrastructure projects do not come at the expense of essential services. Queensland voters will decide on their representatives in the upcoming October 2028 elections.