An embarrassing gaffe from Queensland Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuk eased some of the pressure on Premier Campbell Newman on Thursday, but the tight contest for the LNP leader's seat of Ashgrove will dominate discussion until the polls close on Saturday.
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The LNP currently enjoys a massive 73 to nine majority over the ALP in the 89-seat, unicameral parliament but observers from both sides of politics believe Labor is on track to claw back between 15 to 25 seats, a significant gain but less than the 36 seats needed to regain government.
In a blow to Labor's hopes on Thursday – and as federal Labor leader Bill Shorten flew in for his 11th appearance in a campaign that has helped rehabilitate federal Labor's standing in Queensland – Ms Palaszczuk was unable to name the GST rate of 10 per cent during a disastrous interview with an FM radio station.
She subsequently attempted to shrug off the gaffe, which came on the same day Labor finally unveiled its policy costings that included a modest $1.6 billion in spending compared to $8 billion from the LNP, arguing "I did three radio interviews and didn't have my coffee".
Mr Newman, for his part, played down the significance of a Reachtel poll that showed he trailed Labor's Kate Jones in his own seat of Ashgrove, with the two party-preferred vote favouring the former Labor minister 46-54.
He said the Ashgrove contest "is the same contest elsewhere in the state" and suggested people would "draw their own conclusions" about Ms Palaszczuk's gaffe.
Visiting the inner city seat of Brisbane Central with Labor candidate Grace Grace, Mr Shorten mounted an extraordinary defence of Tony Abbott's chief of staff, Peta Credlin, declaring the Prime Minister should be held accountable for his own mistakes.
"Peta Credlin is not the person who should be carrying the blame for the mistakes of the Abbott government," Mr Shorten said, referring to Mr Abbott's decision to knight Prince Philip.
"Tony Abbott's mistakes are Tony Abbott's mistakes."
He defended Ms Palaszczuk, arguing "always possible to make slip ups" as he called on the federal government to rule out putting GST on fresh food and other items not currently subject to the tax.
Mr Shorten also mocked Mr Abbott's absence from the Sunshine state – the Prime Minister has not visited Queensland once in a bid to firewall the the state LNP from the federal government's unpopularity – and conflated federal and state policy issues.
"If you are concerned about the GST you [should] vote Labor at this election because we have seen Campbell Newman time after time … not stand up for Queensland against cuts to hospitals, cuts to schools and the other extreme decision of the federal government," he said.
- with Amy Remeikis
