The Palmer United Party has launched its QLD election campaign with a promise abolish payroll tax, which it says will kick-start work and economic development.

PUP launched its campaign without its venerable national leader Clive Palmer, who was sick with the flu.

Regardless, PUP’s state leader John Bjelke-Petersen took to the stage to announce plans to ditch the payroll tax.

He said the tax was one that the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Henry Tax Review opposed.

The QLD LNP’s election campaign contains a similar pledge, to lift the payroll tax threshold from $1.1 million to $1.4 million by 2017.

But Mr Bjelke-Petersen said he would walk in the footsteps of his father - former premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen – to restore Queensland as the number one economic state in the nation.

As it stands, payroll tax in Queensland imposes a 4.75 per cent levy on businesses paying more than $1.1 million a year in wages.

Mr Bjelke-Peterson says it would be a catalyst for all sorts of new jobs and economy-driving efforts.

“The failures of the Beattie and Bligh Labor governments and now the Newman LNP government had shut the doors on economic activity in Queensland,” he said.

“Campbell Newman's only answer has been to try and sell or lease state-owned assets such as hospitals, ports, schools and power companies, which will jeopardise the future of our children and grandchildren.”

He also reinforced PUP's stance against the coal seam gas industry, which Mr Bjelke-Peterson said could poison the water table.

“It needs to stop right now until proper safe guards and procedures can be put in place to ensure the safety of the rural sector,” he said.

“Under Newman regional Queensland has suffered, people have lost their farms and the suicide rate has increased due to a lack of support.”

PUP will be looking for a better run this time in Queensland, just a few months after the second of its only two sitting MPs left the party.