Qld leaders pitch to voters ahead of poll

Queensland's premier has made her unofficial pitch to voters as the opposition leader deals with criticism from a former premier.

Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls

Queensland Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls (pic) is further distancing himself from Campbell Newman. (AAP)

The Queensland election is yet to be called, but the unofficial campaign has kicked off with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk spruiking her government's achievements after Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls made his own pitch to voters.

Mr Nicholls' opening salvo on Tuesday night included an attempt to distance himself from his time as treasurer in the previous Newman government, apologising for some of their policies and saying he was a changed man.

It prompted former premier Campbell Newman swiftly taking to social media, accusing Mr Nicholls of being the one "who drove asset sales and cuts" in his government.

The current Liberal National Party leader brushed off the comments on Wednesday.

"I think we've got to look to the future. People are over personality politics," Mr Nicholls said.

"I'm more focused on delivering for Queenslanders than what happens on Twitter."

The premier wasn't keen to let Mr Nicholls off the hook, saying he had to take responsibility for his actions as treasurer from 2012-15.

"A leopard doesn't change its spots. Tim Nicholls is the same Tim Nicholls. Nothing has changed, and Queenslanders do not trust him," she told reporters.

Ms Palaszczuk spruiked her own legacy, making a speech of her own to a business lunch to outline her minority Labor government's achievements, including two jobs-focused budgets which had provided "stability".

Despite their differences, both party leaders slammed One Nation leader Pauline Hanson, after the party's WA leader, Colin Tincknell, suggested she supported moves to increase WA's slice of the GST at the expense of Queensland.

"If we went ahead with One Nation's proposal in Western Australia, Queensland would lose $1.6 billion over the next four years," Ms Palaszczuk said

"That's money that we could spend on roads, hospitals and schools."

Mr Nicholls took the opportunity to throw the issue back on One Nation's Queensland leader, LNP-defector Steve Dickson.

"Does he want to see Queenslanders do without the services that GST provides?"

The next election is due by early 2018 but is tipped to be called in the second half of this year once the new electoral boundaries are finalised.

Ms Palaszczuk left on Wednesday afternoon on a trade mission to London where she'll meet Queen Elizabeth II as part of Commonwealth Games preparations.

She will also visit Singapore and India, where she'll join eight regional Queensland mayors meeting with officials from mining giant Adani to discuss the controversial Carmichael coal mine.


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Source: AAP



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