Newman and Palaszczuk to debate at people's forum

Campbell Newman and Annastacia Palaszczuk will be in the same room together for the first time during the Queensland election campaign when they go head-to-head in a televised debate.

The premier and opposition leader will field questions from 100 undecided voters at the People's Forum on Friday night, to be moderated by Sky News political editor David Speers.

Mr Speers said the format of the live forum, which was also used at the federal election, was unscripted and unfiltered.

"I believe it's an important way of helping voters decide who is best for the job," he said.

The forum will be held at the Broncos Leagues Club in Mr Newman's electorate of Ashgrove, which pundits say he could lose to former Labor minister Kate Jones.

It's a scenario expected to be mentioned at the forum. Mr Newman refuses to say who would be his successor if he loses his seat but the Liberal National Party retains office.

Ms Palaszczuk, meanwhile, is likely to be pressed on how a Labor government would manage the economy.

The party's fiscal strategy to use the dividends from assets marked for lease by the Newman government to pay down the state's debt has been slammed, with Treasurer Tim Nicholls saying it would leave a $1.3 billion hole in the budget.

The privatisation issue, in which the LNP plans to lease $37 billion worth of state assets, is arguably the most divisive issue of the campaign and is expected to feature prominently during the debate.

The leaders will face off again at the Queensland Media Club the day before Queenslanders go to the polls on January 31.