Debates can make or break a campaign.

They can spark the unexpected or throw a candidate off course.

They can create defining moments that haunt a leader or drastically shift the momentum of a race.

Yesterday's debate between the two men vying to lead Queensland for the next four years was devoid of such moments.

Instead, Premier Steven Miles and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli largely stuck to the script as they tried to drive home key messages.

It was a mostly disciplined display, with a couple of quick quips during an hour-long debate in front of a 600-strong crowd.

Both leaders got the opportunity to ask each other questions — and both attempted to use the moment to wedge each other.

Crisafulli, for example, used his one of his questions to spruik his "adult crime, adult time" policy, a proposal he routinely talks about.

The move would see juvenile offenders who commit serious offences — such as murder and manslaughter — sentenced as adults.

Crisafulli asked Miles if a re-elected Labor government would introduce the adult crime, adult time proposal by Christmas – as the LNP is promising to do.

Predictably, Miles didn't directly answer the question, instead labelling the idea a "four-word slogan".

Abortion remains an issue

The pair also clashed over abortion – an issue that has followed Crisafulli throughout the campaign.

The opposition leader has repeatedly insisted an LNP government won't change the state's abortion laws after the Labor decriminalised abortion in 2018.

But he has been unable to say if his MPs would get a conscience vote on a potential repeal bill that the Katter's Australian Party has vowed to introduce.

Miles tried to seize on that yesterday in his opening address at the debate, claiming Crisafulli had dodged precisely 131 questions about abortion throughout the campaign.

Crisafulli sought to draw a line in the sand, once again promising no changes while insisting his team backed this position.

But he stopped short of staking his leadership on it if the laws were to change under his watch as premier.

"I would suggest to you if there were changes to that, I wouldn't be a very popular person amongst Queenslanders," Crisafulli said.

Much of what was said by both Miles and Crisafulli on abortion – and on many of the issues yesterday – had been said before. It was well-worn territory.

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Crisafulli open to changing political donation laws

One of the few new things to emerge yesterday centred on political donations.

The Labor government introduced laws in 2018 that prohibited property developers from making political donations.

It followed a Crime and Corruption Commission report that recommended such a ban for council elections.

The government ultimately decided to apply the ban to state elections as well in a move that was criticised by the LNP.

Asked if he would repeal the laws, Crisafulli revealed yesterday that he was open to lifting the ban when it came to state elections, branding the rules an "electoral financial gerrymander".

her in the second debate of the election campaign.

But he also pointed out it wouldn't be a "day-one order of business" because it didn't relate to health, housing, cost of living, and youth crime — the issues that are central to his campaign.

QUT adjunct associate professor John Mickel — who is a former Labor MP and speaker of the Queensland parliament — said there were no big moments in the debate.

But he also noted it was an encounter where the leaders stuck to the issues.

"In a debate you have to be strident and put your case and argue what the differences are," Mickel said.

"But it didn't descend into personal attacks and attacks on families and things that are really unedifying."

It was arguably a civil debate between both leaders — but one that few voters will likely remember when they head to the ballot box.