Federal election: how Queensland’s key seats voted

Labor has been dealt a crushing blow in Queensland, reduced to a historic low primary vote, which could see it reduced to just five seats.

LABOR has been dealt a crushing blow in Queensland, reduced to a historic low primary vote, which could see it reduced to five seats.

After a stellar campaign from Prime Minister Scott Morrison and unpopular tax policies and division on Adani from Labor, Labor’s vote fell to just 27.4 per cent.

It is lower than when John Howard beat Paul Keating in 1996, when it fell to 33.2 per cent, and when Tony Abbott beat Kevin Rudd in 2013, when it dropped below 30 per cent.

The Courier-Mail predicted Fortress Queensland for the Coalition on Saturday and that bulwark was re-enforced on Saturday night as the LNP held all its seats and gained two.

FEDERAL

2019

North Queensland

Herbert in Townsville was always going to be the LNP’s best chance. Labor’s Cathy O’Toole held it by just 37 votes, while she was conflicted on the Adani coal mine.

LNP candidate Phillip Thompson openly backed the mine and was talking up jobs.

Labor may have been bullish about its chances in the Cairns seat of Leichhardt, but there was almost no movement on the night, with Warren Entsch coming out on top.

Minors – Katter, One Nation and United Australia – netted almost 20 per cent of the vote and their preferences largely went back to the Coalition.

Similarly, George Christensen in Dawson saw his narrow grasp on the seat balloon out to a 14 per cent margin.

Labor running three Left faction candidates who were not backing mining did not helped its cause in the north.

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Phillip Thompson is the new Member for Herbert. Picture: Michael Chambers

Central Queensland

The LNP was in serious trouble in Flynn, taking in Gladstone and surrounds, but a change in tactics has made it a safe seat for the government.

While MP Ken O’Dowd’s brand had taken a hit, and his primary vote still dropped, Prime Minister Scott Morrison carried him over the line.

LNP campaign director Lincoln Folo arranged robo-calls from the PM, direct mailouts from Mr Morrison and television ads were recut to show the two together.

It meant that even if voters were backing minor parties, and One Nation attracted ­almost 20 per cent of the vote, they would be thinking about whether they wanted Mr Morrison or Bill Shorten as our next Prime Minister.

Re-elected Flynn MP Ken O'Dowd and partner Shirley Watts. Picture: Steve Vitt

Labor’s Zac Beers saw a swing against his primary vote. While he openly backed Adani, the mine remained an albatross around his neck as Mr Shorten equivocated.

Michelle Landry’s reputation as a hard-working MP for Capricornia and support for Adani saw Labor give up on winning her seat well before polls opened.

South-east Qld

The south-east delivered the biggest surprises, delivering Longman to the LNP while Lilley remains in play.

While behind in the count, the Coalition is hopeful it could win Wayne Swan’s former seat on postal votes.

LNP candidate Brad Carswell, a tree lopper who calls himself one of Howard’s Battlers, said he expected there would be a recount in the seat.

“If postal votes follow the trends we’ve seen, we’re in with a shot,” he said.

Though Labor is banking on Greens preferences to sneak them over the line.

In Longman, the LNP’s Terry Young was unwilling to declare victory yesterday despite having a 3 per cent lead over Labor’s Susan Lamb.

The small businessman and retailer said voters had made up their minds before going in to vote, but no one knew which way.

“It was impossible to know where it was going,” Mr Young said.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton fended off a large campaign from GetUp! in Dickson and strengthened his margin, while marginal seat holders Luke Howarth in Petrie and Bert van Manen in Forde increased their buffers.

Labor’s previously safe seat of Blair is now marginal after a 17 per cent One Nation vote broke in the LNP’s favour.

Brisbane and the Gold Coast

Inner-city seats of Brisbane, Ryan and Griffith were the only seats in the state to see a swing towards Labor.

Gold Coast LNP MPs Stuart Robert, Karen Andrews, Angie Bell and Bert Van Manen. Picture Glenn Hampson

But it was not enough to make a difference on a broader scale, with each seat remaining unchanged.

The Gold Coast has retained its reputation as a firm LNP stronghold. While Steve Ciobo did not contest Moncrieff, his replacement Angie Bell increased the LNP’s margin there, while Karen Andrews and Stuart Robert were also safely returned.