Anthony Albanese says he aims to replicate Qld Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in government if he becomes Prime Minister
Anthony Albanese has said he aims to replicate Annastacia Palaszczuk’s government in Queensland should Labor win the next Federal Election.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has foreshadowed what a federal Labor government would look like, pointing to Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk as his “template”.
Mr Albanese heaped praise on the Palaszczuk Government and its investment in local manufacturing projects as he addressed the media alongside the Premier and ahead of an expected election announcement in the coming days.
“I’ve been a friend of the Premier for a long period of time. I worked with the Premier of Queensland when we were both infrastructure ministers for our respective governments,” he said in Brisbane on Monday.
“But I have also seen what Premier Palaszczuk has presided over as a bit of a template for the way forward for federal Labor.
“And I will mention just one; making things here.”
Mr Albanese said there was a capacity to expand upon Queensland’s investment in local and regional manufacturing to a nation-wide model.
“You look at Maryborough, and you go through that wonderful regional town and how it has been revitalised by the upgrade by actually making trains here in Australia,” he continued.
“Imagine how strong that would be if that was a national approach? And here in Queensland as well.”
Mr Albanese’s comments come following a minor blow in the latest Newspoll which showed Labor’s lead over the Coalition had dwindled.
On a two-party-preferred basis, the government clawed back one point but is still trailing 54-46 while Scott Morrison returned as preferred Prime Minister after the two leaders drew level in previous surveys.
However, Queensland could be a major issue for Mr Albanese as he attempts to gain at least net-seven seats to govern in majority.
While only holding six of the available 30 electorates in the Sunshine State after an electoral blowout in 2019, Labor has already begun to target key electorates.
But polling for The Courier-Mail shows two marginal LNP-held seats – Longman and Flynn – could remain in the government’s hands as Labor has yet to make major inroads in Queensland.
Labor’s support in Longman – a seat with a margin of less than 3.5 per cent – has collapsed by five points compared to 2019, dropping from 34.1 per cent to 29 per cent.
A lack of wins in Queensland could make the electoral math more difficult for Labor to calculate and would force Mr Albanese to make major gains in Western Australia, Tasmania and Victoria, while holding off the government in NSW.
Mr Albanese again refused to comment about the state of the party in Queensland, telling reporters on Monday: “I will leave that to the commentators”.
By Tyrone Clarke
Appeared on fml.lol
