Growing chasm between Qld and southern states a political problem

Bill Shorten has lost the unlosable election, Scott Morrison is now a Liberal legend and the LNP has strengthened its grip on Queensland, writes Renee Viellaris.

BILL Shorten has lost the unlosable election, Scott Morrison is now a Liberal legend and the LNP has strengthened its grip on Queensland.

Last night’s result also underscored that Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton, Finance Minister Mathias Cormann, Health Minister Greg Hunt and many in the Liberal Party room were right to remove Malcolm Turnbull. He would have led them to defeat.

Coalition returned voters reject ALP agenda

How Queensland helped deliver a Coalition win

In Queensland, federal Labor does not hold a seat north of Brisbane and the LNP has recorded its biggest victory in recent history. Voters repudiated Shorten’s big-taxing, aspiration-zapping policies.

His punt on winning over younger voters with his class warfare backfired, with older people voting en masse for Morrison.

Queenslanders look to right-leaning disrupters when casting a protest vote. Picture: Robert Pozo/AAP.

The determination of central Queenslanders Matt Canavan, Michelle Landry and Ken O’Dowd allowed them to weaponise Adani in a way that will now terrorise the Palaszczuk Government.

In Labor’s NSW coal seat of Hunter, Joel Fitzgibbon was smashed in a 9 per cent swing, undoubtedly because of Labor walking away from its base.

A major problem emerged for Labor last night and that is the chasm between Queensland and southern states.

Its greatest threat is the polarisation of its traditional heartland in Queensland – the blokes on the tools and in the mines – and the new-age ALP focused on “woke” social issues and climate change.

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Despite both parties offering billions in campaign sweeteners to woo voters, high numbers of Queenslanders remained repelled or apathetic and backed minor parties.

The Coalition now has to find common policy ground between Queensland LNP MPs, the so-called “modern Liberals” in Victoria, and an emasculated National Party desperate to assert itself.

The major parties have been forced to move to the left to fight for relevance and that has created a disconnect with their bases in Queensland.