Queensland Labor promises to hire 9475 health staff if re-elected as the deputy premier warns voters to be wary of the prime minister wading into the election.

October 11, 2020

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has promised to hire more than 9000 frontline health staff, including 1500 doctors, if her Labor government is re-elected.

Ms Palaszczuk said 9475 health workers would be employed over the next four years, including an additional 5800 nurses, 475 paramedics and 1700 allied health professionals.

“We need to make sure that we continue to grow our health staff to give Queensland families the best possible care they can get,” she told reporters on Sunday.

“Unless we have a strong health response we cannot open our economic recovery.

“Health is everything.”

Ms Palaszczuk said the plan was fully costed and funded in Queensland Health’s $19 billion budget.

The pledge comes as the Liberal National Party offers car owners a $300 vehicle registration rebate under its plan to jump-start the economy if it wins the state election on October 31.

Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington said the rebate would inject $1.15 billion into the state’s economy and create jobs.

“This is a stimulus payment to give Queensland’s economy a Christmas kickstart,” she said.

Ms Frecklington said the money would be deposited into drivers’ bank accounts.

“An LNP Government will take direct action to stimulate the economy,” she said.

Only Queenslanders with a registered car on November 1 will be eligible for the rebate.

About 3.8 million cars will be covered, including multi-car households, which will get $300 per vehicle.

Deputy Premier Steven Miles said the LNP plan was recycled from the Newman government, which promised to freeze car registration.

“You know what they did? They didn’t freeze it. They put it up every single year,” he said.

It comes as Prime Minister Scott Morrison joined the LNP campaign on the Gold Coast on Saturday.

He is scheduled to visit Brisbane on Sunday.

Mr Miles questioned why Mr Morrison had taken time off from running Australia during a pandemic to come to Queensland to help the LNP campaign.

“He is not a candidate. If people vote for the LNP, they won’t get Scott Morrison. They will get Deb Frecklington (and) she will cut services,” he said.

“She will probably be in a minority government with Clive Palmer’s party and Pauline Hanson’s party. Think about that chaos.”

Mr Miles warned Ms Frecklington would not stand up to the Morrison government to protect Queenslanders, as Ms Palaszczuk had done during the COVID-19 crisis.

“Yesterday, Scott Morrison tried to pretend he had always supported our border position but he and his government went to the High Court with Clive Palmer to try and drag down our border protections,” he said.

Candidate nominations for the state election closed at noon.