Qld: Howard a reminder of disunity, says Beattie

AAP General News (Australia)
08-23-2006
Qld: Howard a reminder of disunity, says Beattie

By Paul Osborne and Steve Connolly

BRISBANE, Aug 23 AAP - Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has warned Prime Minister John
Howard his intervention in the state's election campaign could help Labor win a fourth
successive term.

Mr Howard said today he had accepted an invitation from Opposition Leader Lawrence
Springborg to attend the coalition's campaign launch in Brisbane on September 3.

"I'll be telling the voters that the Beattie government has failed the people of Queensland
in crucial areas like health," Mr Howard told reporters in his first foray into the campaign
for the September 9 poll.

But Mr Beattie said Mr Howard's presence would be a reminder of the failed attempt
this year by Queensland's Nationals and Liberals to form a united conservative party.

"I can remember Mr Springborg attacking the prime minister for getting involved when
there was a move to get one united conservative party," Mr Beattie told AAP.

"I always welcome the prime minister to Queensland as long as he brings money.

"But his appearance will remind people that there was an attempt to get one united
conservative party and the prime minister made sure it didn't happen and Mr Springborg
attacked him.

"So I'm happy to have that reminder because it just shows that there's only one strong
stable government to provide certainty."

Federal Opposition Leader Kim Beazley will also join the campaign tomorrow when he visits Cairns.

Although he's expected to be at Labor's campaign launch, Mr Beazley said Mr Beattie
wouldn't need much help from him in the lead-up to the election.

"I'll be dealing with industrial relations and education issues while I'm up there,"

he told reporters in Sydney.

"Peter Beattie strikes me as the sort of bloke who's conducting a very fine campaign on his own."

Mr Howard said the Queensland election would be determined on state issues.

"I'll be going up for the day of the launch and I'll do what I'm asked to do," Mr Howard
told reporters on the NSW Central Coast.

Queensland has been a happy hunting ground federally for Mr Howard, but the coalition
has struggled at state level and polls and betting markets are pointing to a comfortable
Labor win.

"There are a lot of people who vote for John Howard at a federal level and vote for
my government at a state level,' Mr Beattie said on the campaign trail at Chinchilla,
west of Brisbane.

"They have shown impeccable judgment in the past and I'm hopeful that I can convince
them to continue to show that level of judgment in the next state election as well."

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