Protest vote won't help Redcliffe: Newman

Queensland's premier is urging Redcliffe voters to refrain from a protest vote at the by-election as he promises to help fund a project to turn an old fire station into an arts hub.

Campbell Newman appeared alongside Liberal National Party candidate for Redcliffe Kerri-Anne Dooley to pledge $400,000 from state finances for the local council project.

With by-election in disgraced former LNP backbencher Scott Driscoll's electorate only two weeks away, the premier is urging voters in the bayside seat, north of Brisbane, to refrain from protest voting, despite his party's 10 per cent margin.

"We can understand that people might want to do that and the Labor Party is certainly urging that," Mr Newman told reporters.

"The unions are down here: they've trucked people in from God knows where across the country, but a protest vote doesn't get strong representation."

A federal by-election is also being held on Saturday in former prime minister Kevin Rudd's old inner-Brisbane electorate of Griffith.

But Mr Newman did not believe his Redcliffe by-election pledge would overshadow LNP candidate Bill Glasson in Griffith.

"I could never take thunder away from those federal issues," the premier said.

"I know that the voters are quite smart: they understand that there is a federal by-election that is all to do with people like Bill Glasson and his opponent."