Hanson spruiks joint LNP attack on Labor as Premier faces poll blow
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation will join the LNP in an attempt to steal the Ipswich West by-election and strike a major blow against Premier Steven Miles.
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Pauline Hanson’s One Nation will join the LNP in an attempt to steal the Ipswich West by-election and strike the first significant blow against Premier Steven Miles in a curtain raiser to October’s state poll.
Queensland’s compulsory preferential voting system will see the conservative parties swap preferences during Saturday’s by-election, which could put the LNP within striking distance of winning the seat off the government and snowball momentum into the October 26 poll.
While One Nation is openly spruiking the joint-attack on Labor, the LNP is blaming the state’s “undemocratic” voting system – which forces residents to number every box – for coercing it to choose the party of Senator Hanson above Labor and the Legalise Cannabis Qld party.
Mr Miles said it was a “real possibility” the government would lose Ipswich West on Saturday.
One Nation will “blatantly” throw its support behind the LNP above Labor, meaning the government’s candidate Wendy Bourne must deliver a strong primary vote to hold the seat.
Its attempt will be made harder with no candidate from the Greens helping Labor’s preference flow.
In Ipswich West Labor will preference the Legalise Cannabis Qld party ahead of the LNP and put One Nation last.
Senator Hanson said the conservatives would team-up in an effort to defeat the government.
“I do expect preference arrangements with the LNP,” she said.
“They’ve been smart enough to recommend that voters put us second in Ipswich West and we’ve done the same: recommending that voters give their second preference to the LNP.
“We don’t command people’s voting preferences – we only make recommendations. “Preferences belong entirely to voters themselves.”
The LNP’s candidate Darren Zanow has close links to One Nation, with his late father Viv Zanow helping close friend Pauline Hanson establish the party in 1997.
Senator Hanson also secured $8.9m for the Ipswich Show Society in 2017 when Mr Zanow was vice president.
Both Labor and the LNP have not polled in the seat, but the opposition is optimistic it is in play.
The LNP has not announced policies but is arguing voters can send a message to the Miles government about crime, cost of living and housing.
Queensland Labor State Secretary Kate Flanders said it “speaks volumes” Mr Crisafulli was “prepared to do a deal” with One Nation.
“We’re very confident Wendy Bourne as the only local running, with a huge record of public service is a great candidate and would be a fantastic representative of Ipswich West,” she said.
An LNP spokesman said it was complying with the government’s voting system.
“Labor voted last week in Parliament not to repeal the undemocratic compulsory preferential voting system where Labor benefits the most from its dodgy deal with the Greens,” he said.
“Should the LNP win the October election, the optional preferential voting system would be re-established to ensure democracy prevails in line with the findings of the historic Fitzgerald Era Electoral and Administrative Review Commission.
“If Labor wants to complain about the system they created, why did they vote not to change it?”
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