Federal Election: Airport noise, integrity top Brisbane forum issues

Voters in the seat of Brisbane are most concerned about the creation of a corruption watchdog and aircraft noise from the second runway, a candidate forum hosted by the Courier-Mail has revealed.

Voters in the marginal seat of Brisbane are most concerned about the creation of a corruption watchdog and aircraft noise from the city’s second runway, an online candidate forum hosted by the Courier-Mail has revealed.

LNP MP Trevor Evans and Labor’s Madonna Jarrett went head-to-head in a substantial debate on Wednesday night, with both vying for the inner-city seat of Brisbane held by the Coalition with a 4.92 per cent margin.

The online forum, hosted by News Corp’s Joe Hildebrand, was also the first time “the worm” — a live voting mechanism for viewers to rate the candidates — was introduced.

Mr Evans won with a convincing 64 per cent to Ms Jarrett’s 36 per cent.

Pressed on their views on a federal ICAC, incumbent Mr Evans asserted an integrity body would be set up regardless of which party wins after May 21 and said the Coalition’s model was the “only detailed model” available.

Joe Hildebrand hosted the live debate with Brisbane candidates.

But the federal government’s proposed model for an integrity body, which was released as an exposure draft, was widely condemned as weak.

It also had no ability to conduct public hearings for government corruption, despite allowing such hearings for law enforcement matters, while setting a very high bar for investigations to commence.

Ms Jarrett underlined federal Labor’s promise to introduce legislation for an integrity body by the end of 2022.

But she also dodged questions about whether Queensland Labor Premier’s Annastacia Palaszczuk’s ongoing battles with integrity in her government would dog the party’s federal campaign for the seat.

Mr Evans also skirted past questions about whether the Coalition’s leaders — Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce — were a net negative in a diverse seat like Brisbane.

The incumbent MP was most comfortable when questions about action on aircraft noise were raised, quickly asserting that what the electorate needed was a representative with a clear record and knowledge on the issue.

“I’ve managed to work hard for the community to turn that around, we’ve created an entirely new federal body to intervene in the decision making,” Mr Evans said.

Trevor Evans Federal MP for Brisbane. Photo Steve Pohlner

“That body has started to make very strong recommendations, including to rip up and redraw the flight paths.

“Now that work has commenced but what we’re going to need in the years ahead, is a member whose across the detail of this, knows how to convert what we’ve managed to achieve so far into real results on the ground.”

Labor challenger Ms Jarrett said the party planned to make the community forum set up to understand the issue permanent and outlined Labor’s commitment to review the aviation industry’s regulatory framework.

The pair were also asked about their respective plans for the economy, whether they supported the revival of the Coalition’s controversial religious discrimination bill and if the NDIS would be extended to people above the age of 65.

MP WORKED HARD ON LGBTQI CONCERNS

Mr Evans, Queensland’s first openly gay MP when he was first elected in 2016, said he “felt some special responsibility” for those issues.

He said he had worked “very hard” in relation to the drafting process of the Religious Discrimination laws and had “managed to avoid a lot of concerns and issues” that had been raised by LGBTQI+ people.

The laws were a major Coalition election promise from 2019 but had to be shelved at the last minute after five government MPs crossed the floor to back changes put forward by an independent MP preventing religious schools from expelling gay and trans students based on sexuality and gender.

Federal labor candidate for Brisbane Madonna Jarrett. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jono Searle

Ms Jarrett made clear she supported LGBTQI+ rights, highlighted the bill had been shelved and tried to steer the conversation back to the economy.

“That Bill has been shelved for the time being, let's leave it at that,” she said.

Brisbane had been mainly held by Labor throughout its history, though a redistribution to include the leafy suburbs of Clayfield, Ascot and Hamilton drastically shifted the pendulum to the LNP.

Mr Evans has held the seat since 2016 and was the only Coalition MP in Queensland to suffer a swing against him in the 2019 election campaign.

CANDIDATES GO HEAD TO HEAD IN FORUM

The battle for Brisbane heated up as Liberal National MP Trevor Evans faced off with his main Labor challenger in a debate hosted by Joe Hildebrand.

The forum was an opportunity for the candidates to make their pitch to voters in the marginal seat midway through the election campaign.

Brisbane, held by Mr Evans with a margin of just 4.92 per cent, is a top target seat for Labor — with the party banking on the Coalition’s record on women’s issues, climate and integrity as negatives in the minds of voters.

Labor’s candidate Madonna Jarrett, an executive at Deloitte, has an extensive backing from the party financially and physically, with a rolling roster of Labor heavyweights including Anthony Albanese himself making trips to the seat to bolster her campaign.

The sitting MP Trevor Evans, aligned with the moderate faction of the Liberal party, has previously acknowledged he is facing an uphill battle in the inner-city seat and its changing voter dynamics.

The electorate of Brisbane, taking in the CBD and the inner-northern suburbs, is the only capital city electorate held by the LNP across the country.

Climate change, women’s issues, housing affordability and an integrity body are expected to be the main issues within the electorate, with the recent floods also adding an extra dimension.

Brisbane had been mainly held by Labor throughout its history, though a redistribution to include the leafy suburbs of Clayfield, Ascot and Hamilton drastically shifted the pendulum to the LNP.

Mr Evans has held the seat since 2016 and was the only Coalition MP in Queensland to suffer a swing against him in the 2019 election campaign.