Former Queensland Liberal premier Campbell Newman has broken down why he believes the Coalition has faltered in the polls in recent weeks as chances of an election victory have started to appear to fade.
Mr Newman said while he initially thought earlier in the year the Coalition was in a “good position” he no longer thinks victory is likely following the election campaign’s opening three weeks.
The Coalition’s performance has weakened in the polls, with its primary vote being peeled away by minor parties, putting Labor in the box seat to retain government.
The ex-premier said he was “dismayed” by the Coalition’s approach and said it had “abandoned any sense of fiscal policy”.
He also said it hadn’t done enough to push its nuclear energy policy, especially as Labor’s nuclear scare campaign has appeared to have had an impact on voters.
“I thought that they were courageous to go with nuclear, fantastic. But then they haven’t defended it, they haven’t pushed it, haven’t explained it. And so now it’s just a liability,” Mr Newman told Steve Price on Sky News on Friday.
“I got the most extraordinary piece of Labor Party disgraceful propaganda in my letterbox last night here in Brisbane. It was a mocked-up power bill. It’s supposedly saying what my power bill would be because of Peter Dutton and you know going for nuclear energy but (it’s) a very effective piece of propaganda (and it) will be in some households.”
Labor has claimed Mr Dutton’s nuclear plan will cost $600 billion and that cuts would have to be made by a Coalition government to be able to pay for it.
Results taken from the fourth wave of the Redbridge-Accent rolling track poll of 20 marginal seats found majority of voters believed Labor’s claim.
Mr Newman said the opposition wasn’t doing enough to support its own policy and to defend itself.
“If you were going to have the guts to go out on that platform surely you need to be committed to defend it, to push it, to absolutely make the case and we haven’t really seen that,” he said.
“I think the big thing that’s really dismaying you know, the true blue conservatives, is just some of the announcements about spending money. I think that’s been appalling.
“By the way, for my money, I think the gas reservation announcement is just outrageous policy.”
Mr Dutton’s approval rating has plummeted in recent weeks while Labor pulled ahead.
The latest YouGov poll released on Thursday night has Labor on a 53 per cent to 47 per cent lead in the two-party preferred vote, while Mr Albanese is the preferred prime minister leading Mr Dutton 48 to 38 per cent.
