Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett to run for Labor in Flynn

A popular Queensland mayor has been headhunted to run for Federal Labor at the next election, in a major signal the party believes it can win back a crucial seat.

A popular Central Queensland mayor has been headhunted to run for Federal Labor at the next election, in a major signal the party believes it has a fighting chance to win back a crucial marginal seat.

The pick, Gladstone Council Mayor Matt Burnett for the seat of Flynn, could also have implications for the Townsville-based electorate of Herbert owing to a deal between Labor’s left and right factions.

Cr Burnett, who has served in local government since 2000, has been approached across numerous federal election cycles to run for Labor but is understood to have only acquiesced in recent weeks following discussions with Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese.

The first-term mayor had, as recently as November 2019, told his local paper he was “not interested” in a federal seat.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Gladstone Mayor Matt Burnett. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

Labor is banking on Cr Burnett’s significant personal vote in the region, noting he secured nearly three quarters of the vote at the recent local government election in a two-horse race.

It’s understood Labor believes it has a chance in Flynn, more so than in Dawson or Capricornia, amid the retirement of LNP’s Ken O’Dowd and the collapse of the One Nation vote in Queensland.

Mr O’Dowd was re-elected in 2019 with an expanded margin of 8.6 per cent, though this came mainly from One Nation preferences.

Gladstone was also ground zero of a major gaffe by then Labor leader Bill Shorten, who contradicted his own tax policy during the campaign after being confronted by a coal export terminal worker.

Gladstone region Mayor Matt Burnett will run for the federal seat of Flynn.

Picking Cr Burnett, who is part of Labor Left, in what is traditionally a seat reserved for the Right faction, could have implications in the Townsville-based seat of Herbert.

It’s understood factional deals mean a Labor Right candidate will be picked for the seat, currently held by first term LNP MP Phillip Thompson.

Labor is still canvassing potential candidates for Herbert, but the Courier-Mail understands at least two people within Townsville City Council have been approached and rebuffed the offers.

Mr Albanese said the voters of Flynn needed someone like Cr Burnett in Canberra.

“I know Matt is just as passionate as I am to make sure Queensland has a strong homegrown manufacturing industry, secure well-paid jobs and better health services,” he said.