George Street Beat: Qld politics news and gossip
Much has been made about Shannon Fentiman’s battle to hold her Waterford seat, but if next week’s campaign agenda is anything to go by, Labor headquarters isn’t worried.
QLD Politics
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Voters in Waterford are receiving calls from their local MP and likely future Labor leader Shannon Fentiman to ask what issues are most important to them.
Much has been made about Ms Fentiman’s battle to hold the seat in Labor’s heartland, but if next week’s campaign agenda is anything to go by, Labor headquarters isn’t worried.
GSB hears the health minister will be dispatched across the state to sell the Labor government’s record and plans for health.
We heard even the tightest seats, including the most marginal Bundaberg, would receive a visit.
Is it strategy madness, or are reports of Ms Fentiman’s political death greatly exaggerated?
The problems facing Labor ministers are on the northside, too.
Transport Minister Bart Mellish is in a battle to retain Aspley, which he holds on a 5.2 per cent margin – putting it well within the expected swing to the LNP.
Voters in Aspley and next-door Stafford – held by Labor’s Jimmy Sullivan on a healthier 11.9 per cent margin – have been polled about their candidates and broad support for Labor.
GSB spies also noted heavy union resources had been deployed to Labor’s sixth safest seat, Sandgate.
Spotted campaigning for Bisma Asif was the Transport Workers Union, Services Union and former deputy prime minister now Labor Party National President Wayne Swan.
The seat of Sandgate has a 17.3 per cent margin.
LNP-LINKED CAMPAIGNER RAKES IN COAL CASH
A major coal lobby has funnelled more than $500,000 into an LNP-linked third party campaigner responsible for ant-Labor billboards across inner-Brisbane suburbs.
Australians for Prosperity (A4P), run by former LNP MP for Ryan Julian Simmonds, has splashed advertising across television, radio and billboards warning voters “we can’t afford” another term of Labor.
The campaign is designed to “challenge the current government’s overspending, overtaxing, and overregulation”
Mr Simmonds revealed A4P had recently accepted more than $500,000 from Coal Australia. Under Queensland’s strict electoral spending caps a registered third party is entitled to spend up to $1m on a statewide campaign.
WHEELS UP
One Nation has become victim of this youth crime crisis that’s predicted to end the political careers of at least three Labor MPs.
Steven Clare is campaigning for One Nation in the state’s supposed crime hotspot of Thuringowa in Townsville.
Fitting perhaps, that a campaign trailer carrying corflutes belonging to Mr Clare supposedly had its wheels nicked.
The government’s community safety plan is working, Labor says.
SKETCH SKELTON
Vandalising political candidates’ corflutes with comical, non-offensive drawing is an Australian tradition.
Labor’s first-term MP Rob Skelton has found a novel way to embrace it and raise his profile.
One artist created a hairy and hip, chewbacca-style masterpiece on his corflute that impressed Mr Skelton so much, he decided to turn it into a competition.
Draw on his corflute
GSB couldn’t find too many entries, but Mr Skelton said the competition was “starting to heat up”.
“This Pippy Rob-stockings design from Jim in Mapleton is quite fetching,” he wrote.
There’s no suggestion Banksy was involved.
DOOR ROCKING
Katter’s Australian Party has long promoted itself as the party of fun and its newest recruit is proving it with a novel way of winning votes – a rock concert.
One Nation reject Stephen Andrew is refusing to blanket the electorate with junk-mail political pamphlets, but has instead put on three rock concerts with local muso Luke Geiger and a guest appearance from “north Queensland legend himself Bob Katter”.
“Free live music is an important part of the central Queensland lifestyle” Mr Andrew said.
The last of three concerts will be held Sunday, October 6 from 6pm to 11pm at Hotel Eton.
THREE PICS OF THE WEEK
Crisafulli netball (Thursday)
Bleijie thumbs up (Thursday)
Miles shoeless (Wednesday)
Labor’s strange sense of calm in face of certain oblivion
Labor MPs are privately holding hope that the third-term government is in with a chance at a fourth, despite all signs pointing to the opposite, writes Hayden Johnson.
‘Won’t stand up to him’: Premier’s claim on LNP’s nuclear plans
Premier Steven Miles has made a shock claim about the LNP’s plans for nuclear power should Peter Dutton become Prime Minister in response to a Courier-Mail reader question.