Leaders talk crime, healthcare, abortion laws ahead of upcoming Queensland election

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Labor has pledged almost 16,000 new frontline health workers for the next four years if re-elected. Meanwhile, Queensland's opposition leader was in Townsville talking crime, but he continued to dodge questions over his party's position on abortion.

Transcript

00:00On the tools in Townsville, the opposition leader tried out his barista skills with mixed

00:09results.

00:12David Crisafulli was in the battleground region, making a pitch to crime victims, promising

00:17to spend $40 million to set up a state-wide victims advocacy service by 2026.

00:25A one-stop shop for people being able to deal with government after some of the most traumatic

00:30experiences of their lives.

00:32It would be in addition to the victims commissioner, already established by Labor.

00:38So that they don't have to retell their story every single time they need a different service.

00:43But for a third day, the LNP's key announcement was overshadowed by questions on abortion.

00:50It's not part of our plan.

00:51It's not part of our plan.

00:54You know our priorities, you know our plan, and it's not part of our plan.

00:59His conservative deputy in lockstep.

01:02Not part of our plan.

01:03We've ruled it out.

01:05Abortion was decriminalised in 2018.

01:08All but three LNP MPs voted against the laws allowing terminations, including Mr Crisafulli.

01:16Asked why, he wouldn't say.

01:18Put that to one side.

01:19Let me not trivialise, let me say this.

01:23We are going to an election and I am putting forward our plan.

01:28I am putting forward our priorities.

01:30Mr Crisafulli has been at pains to stress there will be no changes to the state's abortion

01:36laws if the LNP is elected.

01:39But he won't say whether his members will get a conscience vote if Catter's Australian

01:43party brings forward a private members bill to wind back the laws.

01:48That could prove tricky if LNP members vote according to their personal beliefs.

01:53The Catter's priority is recriminalising abortion, Labor's priority is running a scare

01:58campaign to brush over their failings in crime.

02:02Our plan is dealing with youth crime.

02:04I think Queensland women want to know what will happen with their rights over the next

02:08four years.

02:09That's a pretty reasonable thing.

02:11It's a person's freedom of choice to do what they want to do with their own body.

02:15So do you think those laws should be repealed?

02:18Yes.

02:19The Premier was sticking to his health theme, curiously in the blue ribbon seat of Moggill.

02:25He pledged almost 16,000 more doctors, nurses and paramedics over the next four years if

02:31re-elected.

02:32As our population continues to grow, we want to grow our health workforce.

02:37The LNP meanwhile dropped into the Labor stronghold of Mackay, a seat that's bled red for more

02:43than a century, but now could be under threat.

02:49For more UN videos visit www.un.org

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