QUEENSLAND Premier Anna Bligh will try to defend 11 years of Labor government and the shocking deterioration of the budget bottom line at an early election that will decide who should lead the Sunshine State out of the darkness.
Calling a snap poll for March 21, six months before the end of the term, Ms Bligh yesterday declared she could not let political and economic uncertainty bring Queensland to a halt and she needed a mandate to deal with the "troubled times ahead in 2009".
The early election comes after it was revealed that Queensland had plunged $1.6 billion into the red and as a Newspoll - conducted exclusively for The Australian - shows the opposition Liberal National Party making up ground but still trailing Labor 47 per cent to 53 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.
Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said a vote for Queensland Labor was a vote for jobs.
The state poll coincides with the rollout of the federal Government's $42 billion economic stimulus package, including cash payments of up to $900. The payments will start to arrive during the campaign.
Ms Bligh, who would become Australia's first elected female premier if successful, is hoping togive Labor a historic fifth term in power.
The Premier of 17 months - Ms Bligh took over from Peter Beattie in a well-orchestrated succession plan - said that while there were clear policy differences between Labor and the LNP, she would campaign mostly on her record. "Now is not the time for big-spending promises," she said, publicly urging the LNP to be careful with unfunded or wasteful policies.
"This election may well be one of the lowest-spending campaigns in the history of Queensland."
While Ms Bligh was widely expected to call an early election, she did so only days after a budget update revealed that the looming deficit, which has already cost Queensland its AAA credit rating, would double next year when economic growth is predicted to slow and 60,000 people could lose their jobs.
Queensland's downgrading to AA+ by ratings agency Standard & Poor's ranks the state's finances below every state other than Tasmania.
LNP leader Lawrence Springborg - leading the conservatives to a third election but the first as a single party - suggested Ms Bligh was calling an early poll out of fear the economy would get worse and the Government would be left further exposed.
"After 11 years in office, Ms Bligh only cares about one job: her own," Mr Springborg said.
"Queensland deserves better. Over the next 27 days, the LNP will build on our vision for the Queensland we all deserve."
The Newspoll shows the major parties are almost evenly placed in the primary votes, with Labor leading the LNP by 53-47 on a two-party-preferred basis, albeit still a winning position for the Government.
The LNP would need a swing of more than 8 per cent to collect the 20-plus seats it needs to overcome Labor's massive majority in parliament and several immovable conservative independents.
Before heading north last night, for the first full day of campaigning today, Ms Bligh used a business lunch to offer a spirited defence of her Government, insisting it had a good relationship with the private sector and had achieved economic growth above the national average.
Ms Bligh reiterated the borrow-for-building program, which has seen Queensland lose its AAA credit rating for the first time, would not be abandoned as it secured 119,000 jobs, maintained economic growth, and would position the state well for the next boom.
"And, yes, you will hear our opponents criticise that decision; you will hear people scaremongering over the next 27 days as we go through an election campaign; you will hear this program called irresponsible," Ms Bligh said.
"I think the alternative is unthinkable."
But Mr Springborg said Labor had nothing to show for its 11 years in power, and had squandered the opportunities of a booming economy.
"It is a sad legacy of economic management and mismanagement of the Labor Government that after 11 years of the rivers of gold, our state is broke," Mr Springborg said.
"It's a little bit like lighting a fire and then running around and wanting credit for putting it out."
Ms Bligh pre-empted her visit to Governor Penny Wensley yesterday - having already announced her intentions on her personal website - by writing to Kevin Rudd with a list of schools, public housing, highway and rail projects that were ready to be funded under the federal stimulus package.
Having rallied behind the package, which will see many Queenslanders receive $900cheques during the campaign, Ms Bligh also received the immediate backing of Wayne Swan.
"Now is the worst time possible to risk Lawrence Springborg and the Nationals; they have a weak and unstable team with very little experience and they haven't put forward any positive ideas," the Treasurer, a former Queensland Labor state secretary, said in a statement.
"They have no plan for Queensland other than to slash jobs and cut the building projects that will sustain jobs and create the Queensland of the future."
The regions of Queensland, Australia.
The Premier of the Australian state of Queensland has announced that the state will have its election on Saturday, March 21. In an address on YouTube, Anna Bligh of the Australian Labor Party said that she called the election due to the state of the economy and to stabilise the government.

"It's time for Queensland to settle this election. It's time to settle the speculation. So that government, business and the community can get on with the task at hand and not be distracted and destabilised by looming elections," Ms Bligh said in the statement.

Ms Bligh has recently denied that she would call an early election.

"I have always said that I want my government to run the full term and I have not changed my view on this lightly," she said.

"After 11 years in office, Ms Bligh only cares about one job: her own," said Lawrence Springborg head of the Liberal National Party (LNP) and the Leader of the Opposition. "Queensland deserves better. Over the next 27 days, the LNP will build on our vision for the Queensland we all deserve."
Anna Bligh in 2007.
The Opposition need to pick up at least twenty seats from the government to overcome the significant Labor majority and a number of independents.

"It is a sad legacy of economic management and mismanagement of the Labor Government that after 11 years of the rivers of gold, our state is broke," Mr Springborg said. "It's a little bit like lighting a fire and then running around and wanting credit for putting it out." 

A March 21 election gives candidates twenty six day to campaign. This is just within the legal requirements. The Queensland Electoral Act (1992) requires the election campaign to last between 26 and 56 days.

The Queensland Greens nominated an environmental lawyer to run against treasurer Andrew Fraser.

"We can tackle climate change and create long-term jobs, but Labor can't see that because they are blinded by the interests of their big donors - the urban development and coal industries," says Larrisa Waters, the Greens candidate for Mt-Cootha.

"The Greens want to give the community and the environment a voice back in State Parliament."

"The current stance taken by both major parties, in relation to Daylight Saving in Queensland, is outdated, out of touch and inflexible. South East Queenslanders are frustrated that neither major party is currently prepared to explore options on the issue of Daylight Saving", DS4SEQ party leader Jason Furze told ''Wikinews'' on January 30. DS4SEQ is a single-issue party, focused on the debate on daylight saving time.

Indigenous activist Sam Watson will be contesting the South Brisbane electorate which is currently held by the premier. He will represent the Socialist Alliance. Watson campaigned heavly for indigenous rights since the 1970s and was a community spokesperson following the death of Mulrunji Doomadgee in 2004.