Marginal Labor MPs: You’re on your own

LABOR leader Bill Shorten will leave most of his sitting Queensland MPs to fend for themselves during the campaign — instead launching an aggressive strategy to win seats from the Coalition.

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LABOR leader Bill Shorten will leave most of his sitting Queensland MPs to fend for themselves during the campaign — instead launching an aggressive strategy to win seats from the Coalition.

And those Coalition MPs being targeted are expecting additional funding and attention from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull as they struggle to hold their seats.

Queensland has emerged as the state where the election could be won or lost on July 2 — with Labor wanting to build on the six seats it holds, and the Coalition sandbagging some of its 22.

Labor MP Terri Butler revealed sitting MPs were being told to run their own campaigns and not ­expect a visit from the leader.

“They are focusing on the non-helds,” Ms Butler said.

Ms Butler — who holds the seat of Griffith in Brisbane’s inner south with a 3 per cent margin — said: “We think there is a real opportunity to pick up a lot of seats in Queensland so those of us in held seats are sort of expected, quite rightly, to make sure that we are doing everything we can to retain it.”

The LNP hopes to pick up at least one seat by winning back Fairfax now that Clive Palmer has pulled out and holds outside hopes of picking up Moreton from Labor and Kennedy from Bob Katter.

The Opposition will target a swathe of similarly optimistic target seats in Queensland for most of the week before ­attending a rally on Saturday at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, which is in the seat of Griffith.

Labor MP Terri Butler said sitting MPs were told not to expect a visit from their leader Bill Shorten. Pic: Mark Calleja

That will be one of the few times Mr Shorten will campaign in a Labor-held seat in the state.

Former treasurer Wayne Swan, who holds his north Brisbane seat of Lilley with a tight 1.4 per cent margin, is renowned as a local campaigner and has strong name recognition in the seat.

In a sign of his confidence, Mr Swan will help out Labor candidates in other seats, including the two neighbouring LNP seats of Brisbane and Petrie. And he agrees with Mr Shorten’s strategy.

“They should be targeting those seats they need to win government,” Mr Swan said.

On the LNP side, it is the most marginal seat holders who are calling for help from their leaders’ campaign. Capricornia’s Michelle Landry, whose central Queensland seat is the LNP’s second most marginal, said she was “sure” Mr Turnbull would visit through the campaign along with other frontbenchers.

“Capricornia has gone to Labor. We’ve only held it one term each time, but I’m determined to work hard,” she said. “I’m the underdog.”

Petrie, which is notionally the most marginal seat in the country, is also getting lots of attention. Mr Turnbull headed there yesterday and will be followed by other ministers.

The local LNP MP Luke Howarth said it was encouraging to host the PM so early in the campaign.

“I think he’ll be back a couple of times. I hope so,” Mr Howarth said.

“If I can hold Petrie, I’m sure we can hold government.”

Originally published as Marginal Labor MPs: You’re on your own