Campbell Newman in Cairns spruiking bold policies, support for small business in election campaign

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Ousted Queensland Premier Campbell Newman is in Cairns today spruiking flat taxes and an end to COVID ‘hysteria’ as part of a bold federal election campaign.  

The former Lord Mayor of Brisbane is resurrecting his political career to run for a Senate seat.

In July last year, Mr Campbell left the Liberal party “in disgust” despite his decades-long involvement and family ties to the party, with both parents being former ministers.

Shortly after, he announced his candidacy for the Senate under the Liberal Democrats – a micro party with freedom-focused policies at its core.

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“I was left really dismayed about all the politicians we’ve got,” he told Tropic Now.

“We’ve got people who love politics for the sake of politics and they’re not into getting outcomes.

“It’s pretty depressing to come and see Cairns with ‘for lease’ signs everywhere and hear stories from businesses about how they’ve been pushed to the wall in the last two years.

“There are some businesses here that have completely fallen through the cracks when they should have had support.”

The libertarian party is appealing to disaffected small businesses by pushing for less red tape, an end to retail trading hour restrictions, and removing Australia’s minimum wage.  

Policies among the Liberal Democrats’ ‘Freedom Manifesto’ include liberty from surveillance and all government enforced COVID restrictions, as well as an enshrined right to free speech.

Mr Newman said the Lib Dems envision a flat tax rate of 20 per cent on all individuals and businesses, with a $40k tax-free threshold, along with making superannuation a voluntary choice.

“Our argument is let people make their own decisions," he said. 

“You should be able to take your 10 per cent contributions for yourself now, if you want to.” 

Allocating education funding directly to parents, rather than institutions, is another radical policy to drive competition between schools. 

The party would also allow schools to opt out of the national curriculum and abolish standardised testing, such as NAPLAN. 

Mr Newman believes ABC funding should be cut entirely, while the party's stance is to abandon the 2050 net-zero target and allow all types of energy providers, including nuclear.

“If I was a Senator for Queensland, for this city I would be pushing for the restoration of direct tourist flights into Cairns,” he said.  

“I would do everything I can to promote the region overseas to key markets. 

“We need to go hard after markets like Singapore, Malaysia, India, New Zealand.”

The upper house candidate has also labelled both the Queensland and Morrison governments' inaction on Cairns' looming water security crisis as "unforgivable". 

“When it comes to the finances it’s about balanced budgets, low debt, looking after small business,” Mr Newman said.

“But on the social side it’s very progressive.

“The libertarian philosophy is basically about not wanting government in our lives, or minimising government in our lives.”

Mr Newman acknowledged the Liberal Democrats is often lumped with other right-leaning minor parties, but told Tropic Now his party is not anti-vax.

The Lib Dems has however struck a preferencing deal with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, which has been found to have distributed factually inaccurate political advertising on COVID-19 vaccinations.

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Mr Newman, along with Palmer, Pauline Hanson and Matt Canavan are competing for Queensland’s six open Senate seats.

The Liberal Democrats is also open to fielding a House of Representatives candidate in Leichhardt.

“This is going to be the most highly charged election I've seen in this country since 1975,” Mr Newman told Tropic Now.  

“We're saying to rusted-on Labor and rusted-on LNP people, please look at the minor parties. 

“With me, you're getting someone who is fair dinkum – who is a real leader.

“I will go to Canberra and shake things up.”