Why Swayneville is pivotal in Capricornia this Election 2022

As Swayneville goes, so goes the nation: Like bellwether states in the United States, a small rural locality outside Sarina has a strong record of accurately picking the next Australian government.

The electorate of Capricornia holds the blockbuster booth of Swayneville and here, Labor and the LNP are on the nose.

The booth — in a small rural area just outside Sarina to Mackay’s south — has successfully picked the winning government on each occasion since 2004 and in 2022 it is signalling that trust in standard politics is disintegrating.

In a community that elected One Nation’s Stephen Andrew at the state level, a straw poll of 50 voters of all ages expressed keen scepticism towards the major parties.

The voters often picked one over the other only when pressed to do so.

In the choice of preferred prime minister, 44 per cent of respondents chose Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese over Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who nabbed 38 per cent of the votes.

Some 18 per cent of those polled said ‘neither’ or ‘don’t know.’

In choosing between the government and Labor on cost of living and economic management, 24 per cent of respondents fell into the ‘don’t know/neither’ camp.

In this part of Queensland, the most important issue in the election is also clear.

Some 44 per cent of respondents listed cost of living as the key issue, dwarfing national security and overseas conflicts, which registered 12 per cent.

Madison Dargusch, a cafe worker at Third Ground Coffee House on Central St, said the big issue for her in this election was the increasing cost of living paired with stagnating wages.

She said the rental crisis was particularly brutal and rent costs chewed up at least 50 per cent of her weekly income.

When asked to choose between Labor and the LNP on who could best be trusted to manage the economy, she responded: “Can I say neither.”

“I’m probably one of the more opinionated people to answer these questions but I don’t think either of the major parties have the interests of the people at all,” she said.

Ms Dargusch said her first preference vote would likely go to an independent.

She added, however, that she tilted to Labor over the LNP.

“I wouldn’t vote for either,” she said.

“I try not to vote for the major parties.

“I feel like they are a bit biased and not funded by people who want the best for us.

“But if I had to choose, it would be Labor.”

She did not know the name of Opposition leader Anthony Albanese.

“I know it’s a guy – can’t remember entirely but I know it’s a man,” she said.

Despite this, she said a Labor leader would be her preferred Prime Minister over Scott Morrison.

Jamie Hine, a publican at the Sarina Hotel, has just moved to Sarina.

He said he would also likely vote for an independent.

Mr Hine mentioned Covid and price rises as the core issues on his mind.

He also expressed a low opinion of Mr Morrison.

“He (the Prime Minister) hasn’t wrecked things, he has just stood away from things,” he said.

“He hasn’t done as much as he should.”

Mr Hine said he did not know who the Opposition leader was, but his preferred prime minister was anyone other than Mr Morrison.

Bowen Basin miners Jayden Keating (left) and Kym Hamilton have a drink together in Sarina. Picture: Duncan Evans

Jayden Keating and Kym Hamilton sat with beers in the early afternoon.

The miners said they had to drive-in and drive-out to get to site and fuel prices were a key concern.

The government has moved to address this concern by introducing a temporary six-month 50 per cent cut in fuel excise.

Shelley Gately proved a contrast to the prevailing mood of dissatisfaction and expressed her staunch support for the government.

She listed national security, and more specifically the influence of the Chinese Communist Party in Australia, as her core concern.

She is happy that Treasurer Josh Frydenberg has control over foreign investments in the country.

“They gave him the power to look at deals and reverse deals and say ‘no’, and I feel like they did say ‘no’ to quite a few things,” she said.

Mrs Gately also spoke in support of Ukraine and said she would like to see Australia send troops to the country.

“I’m very sad, I think no-one has come to help them,” she said.

“Russia went in and did some terrible things and no one has helped the Ukraine physically.”

Mr Andrew won the Queensland seat of Mirani, which includes Sarina, for One Nation at the state level in 2017 with 54.8 per cent of the vote after preferences.

In 2020, he was returned with 59 per cent of the vote after preferences.