While Mr Morrison's office stressed the cost of the ScoMo Express was paid out of Liberal Party coffers, taxpayers will foot the bill for the VIP plane and hotel costs. All MPs are entitled to travel for legitimate work purposes on the public purse, though the PM's Queensland visit has been criticised by some observers for resembling an election campaign. On the road: Prime Minister Scott Morrison is travelling Queensland by bus - and plane. Credit:AAP Even during actual elections, taxpayers cover the travel costs until the parties hold their official campaign "launches" - which is why the "launches" are typically held very late in the campaign. About half a dozen staffers usually accompany the Prime Minister on a trip, including two media advisers, a policy adviser, executive officer and security.

The overnight travelling allowance that can be claimed by senior staff varies depending on location. For Brisbane it is $358 a night, while in Mackay it is $293. Queensland is a crucial battleground state in the general election. Of nine Coalition-held seats with a margin of less than 2 per cent, five are in the Sunshine State: Capricornia, Flynn, Forde, Petrie and Dickson, held by Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton. The government's poor showing at the Longman byelection, to Brisbane's north, saw the Coalition's primary vote fall by nearly 9 per cent. "Queensland is well over-represented in terms of marginal seats," said electoral analyst Ben Raue, who runs The Tally Room blog. "[Those] seats are crucial if the Liberals are going to have a chance of holding on to government.

"Right now in the polls they're a long way away from holding government but if they were to get closer, then these Queensland seats will really matter." Liberal politicians played down concerns about the party's fortunes in the Sunshine State. Luke Howarth, who holds the marginal seat of Petrie, said Mr Morrison was hopeful of picking up new seats such as Lilley, where Labor's Wayne Swan is retiring. "He's just up here looking around, saying g'day and listening to people," Mr Howarth said. "I'm certainly not worried, I'm just getting on with the job." Prime Minister Scott Morrison eats a strawberry during a visit to a farm in Chambers Flat on Monday. Credit:AAP Long-serving Queensland senator Ian Macdonald said he never despaired about the party's fate in his home state, predicting a better outcome than many expect. He said Mr Morrison's interest in Queensland was not a sign of "panic" but one of pragmatism.