Farmers to be a force in Longman as advocacy group AgForce launches campaign against Labor

A GROUP of powerful yet unlikely players are set to play a pivotal role in the crucial Longman by-election through a GetUp!-style grassroots campaign targeting Labor. And its impact is set to be felt nationwide when a federal election is called.

FARMERS and the rural sector will take on Labor in Longman in a GetUp!-style grassroots campaign which will be expanded to include the full federal election when it is called.

Farmers advocacy group AgForce will campaign against a political party for the first time from this weekend, pushing back against proposed vegetation management laws.

A senior Labor frontbencher said the party “will not turn a blind eye to land clearing”.

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And in a double-blow for Labor, One Nation has confirmed it will preference the LNP ahead of Labor, boosting the Coalition’s chances.

It follows ReachTEL polling conducted exclusively for The Courier-Mail which revealed the LNP’s Trevor Ruthenberg had edged in front of Labor with 51 per cent of the vote on a two-party preferred basis.

Earlier this year, the Palaszczuk Government enacted vegetation management laws which the rural sector says created onerous red tape which would put financial pressure on farmers.

AgForce boss Michael Guerin

A proposal to create similar landclearing legislation in federal law will be taken to Labor’s national conference later this year.

AgForce boss Michael Guerin said farmers were already being sent to the wall by the state-based laws, so any federal addition would be devastating.

“Farmers and farming communities want to make the environment better, not worse, but we can’t do anything when you’re stuck under layers and layers of red tape,” he said.

He said AgForce’s campaign would start small on Sunday at the Caboolture Market, with a small number of volunteers handing out flyers and talking to voters.

But he said he expected it to build significantly with doorknocking and social media campaigns.

“We’re farmers, not an expert lobbying group, but this is too important,” Mr Guerin said.

Federal Opposition environment spokesman Tony Burke said there was nothing new in AgForce having a different position on land clearing to Labor.

“Protections against large-scale land clearing are essential to defend the Reef and the tens of thousands of jobs that rely on it. Labor will not turn a blind eye to land clearing,” he said.

The LNP's Trevor Ruthenberg and Labor's Susan Lamb are battling to win the seat of Longman.

Meanwhile, One Nation’s state leader and Longman campaign manager Steve Dickson confirmed his party would put the Greens last on their how-to-vote cards, followed by Labor.

“We haven’t determined where the LNP will sit in that, they may be just above the other two,” he said.

He said “the potential for change is immense” in Longman and that One Nation’s candidate Matthew Stephen could perform more strongly than the polls suggested.