Australia's opposition party, and predicted winners of Queensland's upcoming state election, have failed to provide a candidate for a debate at Brisbane’s Gay and Lesbian Business Network tonight.

All the other main parties contesting the state election – Australian Labor Party, Greens and Katter’s Australia Party - will be represented, but the Liberal National Party (LNP), currently ahead in the opinion polls, will not.

The current Deputy Premier and Treasurer of the state, Australian Labor Party’s Andrew Fraser will be debating with fellow Australian Labor Party and Queensland Legislative Assembly member Grace Grace as well as the Greens' Anne Boccabella and Katter's Australia Party's Rob Waldrop. Katter’s Australia Party recently funded a controversial anti-gay marriage advert.

Brisbane’s Gay and Lesbian Business Network (GLBN) has billed tonight’s event as the ‘last chance before polling day to talk directly to the politicians and find out what each candidate will give the GLBN community and businesses after the election’. Now the members of Brisbane’s LGBT community at the event tonight will not have the chance to question a candidate from the party predicted to win the state election on 24 March.

GLBN president Tony Quaife told the Star Observer: ‘A good debate has to have multiple sides of the argument and we are pleased to have a line up that has such a broad range of political views… we are delighted to have the deputy premier and treasurer attending this event but disappointedly the LNP has so far refused our invitation to come forward and lure votes from our members.’

The LNP’s position on gay issues has been confused during the election campaign in Queensland. Leader Campbell Newman told the Australia Christian Lobby last month that if his party were elected he would look into repealing the law that recently allowed same-sex civil unions in the state, but he has said he is personally in favour of gay marriage.

Gay Star News contacted the LNP for a response.