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Steven Miles bats away accusations of pinching policies from Greens ahead of Queensland polls opening Steven Miles bats away accusations of pinching policies from Greens ahead of Queensland polls opening
(about 4 hours later)
State premier announces free state primary school lunches at campaign launch after revealing plan for state-owned health clinicsState premier announces free state primary school lunches at campaign launch after revealing plan for state-owned health clinics
Premier Steven Miles has promised free school lunches for every Queensland primary school student, just one day before polls open in the state election campaign. Premier Steven Miles has warded off allegations of plagiarism from the Greens for a signature free school lunch policy announced at Sunday’s election campaign launch.
The Labor leader made the announcement in front of party faithful, at the Labor election campaign launch in North Lakes on Sunday. The Labor leader promised a free lunch for every Queensland state primary school student, the day before polls open in the state’s election. It came just a day after he unveiled a policy of state-owned, privately run GP clinics.
It’s the second cost-of-living promise of the weekend. On Saturday, Miles announced a plan to build 50 state owned clinics to be rented to private GPs on condition they are bulk-billed. But in a rare consensus between the Liberal National party and Greens, his political opponents agreed he had stolen the minor party’s lunch.
“This is what I have always wanted to do to deliver alongside 50c public transport fares because it means more of our young people will have a chance to achieve their dreams,” Miles said, to furious applause. Greens MP Amy McMahon introduced a private members’ motion in 2021 calling for the policy, which Labor voted down.
The polls open tomorrow. The last ballots will be cast on 26 October. The LNP opposition has been ahead in the polls and the favourite of bookies for months. Miles said there had been a change since 2021: “I’m premier.”
Under the policy, free healthy school lunches will be available for all state primary school students from prep to year 6. The Labor left leader has spent months distancing himself from his predecessor, Annastacia Palaszczuk. She did not appear at Sunday’s campaign launch and has been rarely seen at party events since she stood down in December last year.
The party argues the policy would save parents about $1,600 pr child each year. Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email
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“As I’ve said all along, as the premier, I will be doing what matters to Queensland and showing Queenslanders the kinds of things that I’m passionate about and I believe in, and school lunches has been a pretty consistent theme,” Miles said.
“Queensland Labor, at the 11th hour, has decided to adopt the Greens plan to expand a free, universal school lunch program in every school,” federal Greens MP Max Chandler-Mather said on Sunday.
“And if you want to make sure that we can deliver on this in the future, then you need a Greens MP”.
Chandler-Mather claimed Labor had stolen a number of Greens policies, including 50 cent fares, an electricity retailer and free school lunches, with the LNP also adopting some, including cheap fares.
“Right now, they’re competing on who can announce more greens policies, which is great, and it demonstrates our power”.
The deputy LNP leader, Jarrod Bleijie, also accused Miles of pinching from the Greens.
“They have pinched a Greens policy that the Labor party in parliament voted against not long ago,” he said.
Under the policy, free healthy school lunches will be available for all state primary school students from prep to year 6. It would begin “next school year”, Miles said.
The party argues the policy would save parents about $1,600 per child each year.
Miles said long-term studies suggest that universal free school lunches lower social inequality, lift women’s participation in the workforce and help to prevent childhood obesity.Miles said long-term studies suggest that universal free school lunches lower social inequality, lift women’s participation in the workforce and help to prevent childhood obesity.
An evaluation of similar programs showed a return on investment of 2.5 times to 7 times their cost, he said. An evaluation of similar programs showed a return on investment of 2.5 to seven times their cost, he said.
“We all want kids to have the best start in life – and they learn best with full tummies,” Miles said.
The policy is expected to cost about $1.4bn.
The education announcement comes on the back of a major health pledge on Saturday. Miles on Saturday announced a $365m plan to build 50 new GP clinics, to be offered for use by private doctors, on condition they bulk-bill.
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“We all want kids to have the best start in life – and they learn best with full tummies,” Miles said. On Sunday, Miles called it the “biggest intervention in primary care of any state or territory ever”.
The policy is expected to cost about $1.4 billion. The school lunch program would cost the taxpayer about $1.4bn, according to Labor.
Saturday’s GP announcement would cost about $365 million. On Sunday, Miles called it the “biggest intervention in primary care of any state or territory ever”. Starting from behind
With polls opening on Monday and last ballots cast on 26 October, Labor goes to the election well behind the LNP, according to opinion pollsters and the bookies.
The party held its official campaign launch at North Lakes Community Centre, a stone’s throw from Miles’ outer suburban electorate.
Miles entered to the Chappell Roan song Hot to Trot and exited to Bruce Springsteen’s We Take Care of Our Own, and stood before a gigantic sign reading “doing what matters for Queensland”.
He was careful to wear a happy face for the party faithful on Sunday, again selling himself as a daggy suburban dad with a conscience. The premier even performed a live “lunchbox chat”, a staple of his social media, with daughter Bridie, to accompany the school lunch announcement. Journalists were also issued an illustrative lunchbox.
But only a smattering of party grandees attended the launch, including party president, Queenslander Wayne Swan, and Peter Beattie, the longest-serving modern Labor premier.
Miles refused to answer whether he was disappointed Palaszczuk had stayed away.
“All of the former premiers were invited today. They’re all busy people with their own commitments,” he said, adding he was “happy either way”.
A series of senior Labor ministers drew a contrast between what they said was a government of bold ideas aimed at the average Queenslander and an opposition running a small-target strategy.
Miles took aim at Crisafulli’s recent abandonment of the state’s legislated renewables strategy.
He pointed to remarks by the federal opposition leader, Peter Dutton, to argue the shift was a stalking horse for nuclear power in the state.
“Peter Dutton said it himself: the first step to a nuclear state is to elect Crisafulli. That means the first step to stoping nuclear is electing a Miles Labor government,” Miles said.