Queensland election 2015: Annastacia Palaszczuk’s Labor on brink of victory
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk has become an instant Labor legend, decimating the Newman Government despite its history-making majority. REPORT | ELECTION SECTION | STATEWIDE RESULTS
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ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk became an instant Labor legend overnight after decimating the Newman Government just three years after it secured Australia’s biggest ever parliamentary majority.
With the results of a handful of electorates still hanging in the balance, Labor was close to securing the 45 seats needed to govern in its own right after a statewide swing of almost 13 per cent.
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Premier Campbell Newman was dramatically dumped by his electorate of Ashgrove, suffering a swing of almost 10 per cent, after the grassroots campaign by Labor rival Kate Jones who he beat in 2012.
The LNP appeared to have secured 40 seats last night, an extraordinary demise after taking out 78 of 89 electorates just three years earlier.
“My political career is over,’’ Mr Newman declared last night as he promised to commit more time to his family after an 11-year career in local and state politics.
Ms Jones credited her team of volunteers for the victory, saying it was clear the electorate thought the LNP had taken Queensland backwards.
“The vote here in Ashgrove sends a very, very clear message that we want a better way going forward,’’ she said.
Cabinet ministers and rising stars of the LNP were among the casualties, including Police Minister Jack Dempsey and Local Government Minister David Crisafulli.
The result has dire ramifications for Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his grip on the job with speculation rife he will be axed for Malcolm Turnbull.
Labor’s policy-light campaign, which focused on Mr Newman and asset sales, destroyed the LNP in the final week of the election despite Ms Palaszczuk’s GST gaffe and difficulties explaining her platform. Mr Newman’s claim that Labor may be secretly pocketing bikie cash is believed to have sent the LNP into freefall over the Australia Day long weekend and it never recovered.
The result will spell the end of asset sales planned by the LNP, a highly contentious policy which became the flashpoint of difference between the two sides.
LNP was a deeply divided outfit last night with recriminations over a botched campaign and Mr Newman’s era of divisive leadership threatening to spark an outright war between key figures.
Jockeying over Mr Newman’s replacement began well before the polls officially closed as MPs cast around for a potential party leader in the widespread belief the LNP would win without him.
Some senior figures are today expected to go public with condemnation of Treasurer Tim Nicholls and Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney over their key roles in the Newman Government.
Mr Crisafulli said the Government had repeatedly failed to convince Queenslanders of the need for reform and had instead dived in head first.
“If you are going to reform, you have got to bring people on the journey with you,’’ he said.
Unthinkable becomes reality
ANNASTACIA Palaszczuk was last night poised to record a historic victory considered unthinkable just three years ago.
She was often dismissed by many as a placeholder Opposition Leader who was never expected to lead the state.
After being relegated to the wilderness in 2012 with just seven MPs, the party was last night on the brink of possibly returning to Government, with massive swings to the ALP recorded across the state.
Even if Labor didn’t claim the 45 seats needed to form Government in its own right, Ms Palaszczuk will go down as a Labor hero.
A majority victory was still on the table last night – an outcome few within the Labor Party itself had entertained as a possibility.
A beaming Ms Palaszczuk thanked Queenslanders for putting their trust back in the Labor Party.
“It’s still too close to call at present but I’m very hopeful that we will be able to form government,’’ she said to cheering supporters.
We will continue to listen to you, that is my commitment.
“Today the people of Queensland sent a very clear message and that message was they do not want their assets sold. We will keep our assets in public hands.’’
Seasoned party insiders were astounded by the swings flashing across the big screen at Ms Palaszczuk’s election party in Richlands.
After what was widely considered an under-whelming and policy-lite campaign, the Opposition Leader was a fighting chance to become premier, with Campbell Newman’s seat claimed by Labor’s momentum before 9pm.
Federal Labor leader Bill Shorten said Ms Palaszczuk had achieved “an extraordinary result”, saying it was a privilege to campaign alongside her.
“While the final outcome is still not known, tonight’s remarkable results happened against all odds,” he said.
“Against a party with 80 more seats in parliament. Against a party with a war chest of funding for advertising. Against a government with incumbency and a Liberal Government in Canberra.”
Former Labor prime ministers Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd both took to Twitter to congratulate Ms Palaszczuk.
Congratulations to Annastacia and the Labor team on a hard fought, courageous campaign. You can rightly be proud of your efforts. JG.
— Julia Gillard (@JuliaGillard) January 31, 2015Anastacia Palaszczuk, against all the odds, and despite all the detractors over the last three years, has delivered a stunning result in Qld
— Kevin Rudd (@MrKRudd) January 31, 2015Former Queensland Labor premier Peter Beattie said she was “tougher and smarter than a lot of people” gave her credit for.
“Based on this, she’s pulled off the most extraordinary result and she will be rewarded by...her colleagues. If you’re a winner, you’re a winner,’’ Mr Beattie said.
“ Nobody expected her. If you’d have said a year ago, Annastacia was going to be in this position. If I’d said this, I would have been carted off to the funny farm. You’ve got to admire her guts.”
ALP Queensland president Dick Williams applauded Ms Palaszczuk’s performance over the past few years and during the campaign.
“We agreed that this would be like the reclaiming of Mt Everest and a David and Goliath challenge and all that sort of thing,” he said.
“I absolutely cannot say enough great things about Annastacia’s leadership over the last three years. Not only her leadership within the Parliament, but the way she has campaigned week, after week, after week.
“Yep, we had a little bit of a hiccup with the GST thing, but at the end of the day, how many votes is that going to cost us?
It’s probably a handful of votes in a couple of seats.”
A proud Henry Palaszczuk, her father and a former Queensland minister, said his daughter had always quietly believed there was a chance she could one day lead her small army to victory.
“The only person who thought that it could be a possibility was Annastacia,” he said.
“And that basically came from the first really sad act that was committed by the new LNP Government and that was kicking out the Opposition from the Parliamentary offices of the Parliament.
“She knew that was the beginning, she knew there would be a lot more happening, and knew she would be in there with a chance.”
Mr Palaszczuk said his daughter’s consultative approach and resilience helped her conquer a number of tough-to-win seats across Queensland.
Labor councillor and former ALP state secretary Milton Dick said Ms Palaszczuk had proved herself in the eyes of Queenslanders.
“Annastacia has proven herself as a strong and consensus leader,” he said.
“The community has clearly backed her.
“It’s still early to call the election result but one thing is clear, the community and people of Queensland have recognised her strengths, her talents and her abilities as someone who will fight for them.”
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