Ashley Robinson says LNP should not take Sunshine Coast for granted
A Sunshine Coast business expert has warned the LNP against taking the region for granted as it looks set to win back one seat and a close tussle continues in another.
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A Sunshine Coast business stalwart has warned the LNP against taking the region for granted as it looks increasingly likely the party will snatch back two marginal Labor seats.
Longtime resident and Metropolitan Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club CEO Ashley Robinson said the likely absence of any Labor seats on the Sunshine Coast could mean locals miss out.
“It could mean nothing for four years couldn’t it? Because we’ve got all these LNP seats again,” Mr Robinson said.
“I was disappointed by both sides of politics with the way the campaign ran and I think it was just a whole bunch of promises but I guess the LNP are in there now and they’ve got to back it up.”
Mr Robinson said he was surprised at Labor’s defeat in Caloundra to first-time LNP candidate Kendall Morton, but he hoped the LNP would not take the seat for granted in the future.
“I have always been cynical because we are safe seats, but I’m hopeful that the fact Jason Hunt won that Caloundra seat and Labor won the Nicklin seat and the LNP have had to fight to get it back, I’m hoping they remember that over the next four years,” Mr Robinson said.
As the second day of counting drew to a close, the marginal seat of Nicklin remained too close to call.
The LNP’s Marty Hunt looked set to make a comeback as he maintained a steady lead on Labor’s Rob Skelton, who was vying for a second term following his breakthrough win in 2020.
The LNP’s Mr Hunt had received 38.95 per cent of the votes counted, while Mr Skelton sat on 30.31 per cent.
Meanwhile, in Caloundra Labor’s Jason Hunt looks set to lose to Ms Morton after a close tussle.
Numbers showed Ms Morton on 44.14 per cent of the 72.16 per cent of votes counted, with Labor’s Mr Hunt on 36.40 per cent.
Labor looks set to lose Caloundra
The LNP’s first-time candidate and local business-owner, Kendall Morton, is set to snatch the marginal Sunshine Coast seat of Caloundra from Labor’s Jason Hunt.
Numbers show Ms Morton holds 44.14 per cent of the 72.16 per cent of votes counted, with Mr Hunt on 36.40 per cent.
In Nicklin, the seat is still in doubt with a close contest between the ALP incumbent Rob Skelton and the LNP’s Marty Hunt.
Caloundra, Nicklin on knife-edge as independent celebrates
The Sunshine Coast has produced a mixed bag so far, with Labor’s Jason Hunt fighting for his political life in the Sunshine Coast seat of Caloundra while LNP’s Marty Hunt and incumbent ALP MP Rob Skelton are in a close tussle in Nicklin.
In Noosa, independent MP Sandy Bolton is set to be declared victor along with the incumbent LNP Glass House’s Andrew Powell as the count continues.
Mr Hunt won the seat of Caloundra on his third attempt in 2020, with a 5.9 per cent swing.
Numbers show Labor’s Mr Hunt had 11,478 votes or 36.4 per cent, with the LNP’s Kendall Morton ahead on 13,918 votes, or 44.14 per cent.
The Greens’ Peta Higgs was on 7.78 per cent, with preferences likely to go to Labor.
Numbers showed the LNP’s Mr Hunt ahead of incumbent Labor MP Mr Skelton in the marginal seat of Nicklin.
Mr Skelton was on 6872, or 30.6 per cent while Mr Hunt was on 8401, or 37.42 per cent, with the Greens’ Sue Etheridge on 9.65 per cent.
In Buderim, the LNP’s Brent Mickelberg was well ahead on 49.62 per cent of the vote.
In Maroochydore, Fiona Simpson, who has held the seat since 1992, had 53.85 per cent or 10,798 votes and the deputy opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie held onto his seat in Kawana with nearly 58 per cent of the primary vote.
In Ninderry, Dan Purdie had almost 50 per cent of the vote, well ahead of Labor’s Jo Justo on 26.35 per cent.
The LNP’s Marty Hunt continues to maintain his lead on incumbent Labor MP Rob Skelton in the marginal seat of Nicklin with Sky News declaring the LNP will get a majority.
Mr Skelton won the seat from Mr Hunt in 2020 with a 0.1 per cent margin.
A close tussle is emerging in the Caloundra electorate between an LNP first-time candidate and the Labor incumbent Jason Hunt.
Of the more than 6000 votes counted, the LNP’s Kendall Morton holds 36.48 per cent while Mr Hunt holds 38.32 per cent.
Peta Higgs, of the Greens, has gained 9.9 per cent.
In Noosa, incumbent MP Sandy Bolton looks set to emerge victor and the Glass House LNP incumbent Andrew Powell also looks successful as the vote continues.
Early numbers show the independent incumbent for Noosa taking an early lead in the beachside electorate.
Early numbers show the LNP’s Marty Hunt ahead of incumbent Labor MP Rob Skelton in the marginal seat of Nicklin.
From 1865 formal votes counted, Mr Hunt has currently taken the lead on 34.53 per cent.
Mr Skelton is on 30.03 per cent, with the Greens’ Sue Etheridge on 11.96 per cent.
In Ninderry, of the more than 1300 votes counted, the LNP incumbent Dan Purdie slightly leads the pack on 36.74 per cent. of the vote, with Labor’s Jo Justo on 29.82 per cent.
Labor looks to be in trouble in one of their most marginal Sunshine Coast seats, as early election day exit polls show a massive swing to the opposition.
Voters in Caloundra are “looking for change”, with cost-of-living and the housing crisis front-of-mind for many in the coastal electorate.
Of the 200 voters polled as they left booths in Caloundra on Saturday morning, 96 had cast their vote for the LNP’s first-time candidate and business owner, Kendall Morton.
Labor MP Jason Hunt, who won the seat from the LNP on his third attempt in 2020, received 59 votes, while the Greens’ Dr Peta Higgs won 26.
Ms Morton said she was “so buoyed” by the voters she had met.
“So many of them told me they were ready for change, and for a fresh start for our great state,” she said.
“They told me how important the LNP’s $400m commitment to fix the Caloundra road was – so I know people want a party like the LNP with real solutions to our problems.
“I’m hopeful that will come through in our results tonight. I could not have asked for a more supportive and loyal band of volunteers and workers who’ve stood alongside me at prepoll and today on the booths.”
Police order 70yo to leave Sunshine Coast polling booth
A 70-year-old Sunshine Coast man has been ordered to leave a polling place by police.
A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said officers were called to Kawana Waters State College in Bokarina, where a polling booth was set up, to reports of an assault today.
She said when police arrived about 10am, they established the incident was more a “dispute” than assault.
The police spokeswoman said the Tanawha man was given a public nuisance ticket and ordered to stay 100m away from the school for 12 hours.
‘Quite odd’: Labor incumbent declares no swing to LNP in tight electorate
Candidates vying for the seat of Nicklin in a close competition have put their best foot forward, greeting voters at a Nambour polling booth.
LNP candidate Marty Hunt said it had been a marathon and he had worked hard for the past four years to offer Queenslanders a “fresh start”.
“I think that’s what our area needs,” he said.
Mr Hunt noted the election was close in 2020, with Labor incumbent Rob Skelton winning with a tiny 0.1 per cent margin.
“I expect it to be very close this time,” he said.
“(We) take nothing for granted.”
Mr Hunt said he had left nothing in the tank in regard to his campaign.
“This is my beat, I’m a police officer — I love my community, I live here, I shop here, I work here,” he said.
“I think we can do better.
“I want to offer a fresh start.”
Mr Skelton toured several booths in Nicklin on Saturday.
At Nambour State College, he said he was feeling positive but one could never feel confident in such matters.
“You just don’t know the result until you are in that cardboard booth with a stubby little pencil in their hand,” he said.
Mr Skelton said today’s polling had been “bizarre,” saying he did not believe there was a swing toward the LNP.
“That’s shown by the fact that they’ve really mobilised a lot of numbers around the booths from nowhere and a lot of them are coming from other parts in the state,” he said.
“That’s quite odd.”
Mr Skelton said he had done everything he could do in his campaign and was happy with what he delivered to the community since his last election.
“All you can do is work your hardest,” he said.
Polling booths across Nicklin were particularly empty in the afternoon, indicating many residents opted for early voting this year.
Candidates make last ditch efforts to sway voters
In Noosa, the independent Sandy Bolton was touring several voting booths in the electorate she has held since 2017.
“Pre-poll has been fantastic,” she said.
Ms Bolton said her election race would be “neck and neck” with the other candidates, particularly the LNP’s Clare Stewart.
“It was a hard-fought battle,” she said.
At the 2020 state election Ms Bolton held the seat with a margin of 11.5 per cent.
Ms Stewart, the former Noosa Council mayor, was also visiting multiple voting booths across the Noosa electorate.
The deputy LNP leader and incumbent for the seat of Kawana Jarrod Bleijie was with his family when he cast his vote at the Meridan State College on Saturday morning.
Further north, the LNP incumbents for Ninderry and Maroochydore, Dan Purdie and Fiona Simpson, arrived at the Coolum State School to talk with voters.
Ms Simpson, who has held the Maroochydore seat since 1992, said she had experienced tough elections over the years.
“You never take it for granted,” she said.
“Boundaries also keep changing but the main thing is you look after your local area first.”
Mr Purdie said nearly half of voters in Ninderry had cast their ballot in pre-poll.
“We’re going to leave nothing in the tank,” he said.
“But look it’s hard to read, a lot of people turn up and they’re not taking how to vote cards, whether they’ve researched online or they make their decision when they get inside, it’s hard to tell.
“The booths I’ve been at this morning have felt positive, so hopefully I’ll still have a job tomorrow.”
‘Hope they follow through’: Business stalwarts on state election 2024
Two Sunshine Coast business stalwarts have revealed what they need most from the party that wins power in the 2024 state election, with one tipping the LNP would remain popular in the region.
Longtime resident and Metropolitan Caloundra Surf Life Saving Club CEO Ashley Robinson said he could not see any reason why LNP candidates would not keep their seats on the Sunshine Coast in the 2024 election.
He noted many candidates, particularly deputy leader of the opposition and Kawana candidate Jarrod Bleijie, who Mr Robinson has supported, have made a lot of promises this year.
“I just hope they follow it all through,” he said.
Having worked in Alexandra Headland for 15 years, Mr Robinson said incumbent member for Maroochydore and LNP candidate Fiona Simpson was very supportive in the past, especially to small business, and he did not expect this to change dramatically.
Now working as CEO of the surf club, Mr Robinson said the Labor Member for Caloundra Jason Hunt had “done well as a local member” and would likely hold his seat.
He said either Mr Hunt or the first-time LNP candidate Kendall Moreton would “be good for Caloundra” regardless of who would end up in power.
Mr Robinson said the LNP may try a bit harder in following years to win the Caloundra seat if Mr Hunt was re-elected this year.
Mr Robinson said he was “not a fan of party politics” and had been disappointed in leader campaigns on both sides, claiming a lot of promises had been made without seeing a lot of work.
He declared he would always support Mr Bleijie and Ms Simpson as candidates regardless of which party they belonged to.
“Let’s hope the Sunshine Coast in particular gets a good deal for the next four years,” Mr Robinson said.
Sunshine Coast Business Council chairwoman Sandy Zubrinich said this would be a “really important election” with a housing crisis gripping the region and private sector investment stalling on the Sunshine Coast.
Ms Zubrinich said her council would be looking for the next state government to very quickly complete the “practical things” required to get investment flowing and address issues limiting economic growth.
As an independent industry group, Ms Zubrinich said she looked at policies rather than each party itself, attempting to talk with Labor and the LNP about regional issues in the past 12 months.
Gaining slightly more success getting in touch with the LNP, the group had discussed the importance of heavy rail between Maroochydore and Brisbane in the lead-up to the Olympics, which only the LNP promised to deliver in time, Ms Zubrinich said.
She promised to “very quickly” remind the LNP of its commitments in terms of rail, should the party win the election.
She said current housing policies were not working.
Ms Zubrinich said she and her council looked forward to working with the government to address things which were limiting economic growth on the Sunshine Coast, getting houses built and opening up land.
She warned the Sunshine Coast would be “in dire straits” if these issues are not addressed.
Labor’s Jason Hunt won the seat of Caloundra on his third attempt in 2020, with a 5.9 per cent swing.
The LNP’s first-time candidate and business-owner Kendall Morton has run a community-focused election campaign, including door knocking about 10,000 Caloundra homes.
Ms Morton said residents overwhelmingly told her the area’s transport infrastructure was their number one concern.
The electorate, which encompasses Baringa, Currimundi and Pelican Waters, was promised a $400m upgrade to road infrastructure by the LNP.
Early exit polls, collected at two pre-polling locations in Caloundra, indicated an initial large swing to Ms Morton, taking 50 per cent of the votes from 100 people.
One of Queensland’s longest-serving MP Fiona Simpson marked three decades as the local member for Maroochydore in 2022.
Ms Simpson told this publication her key promise to constituents in the state election was the delivery of the Mooloolah River Interchange.
Labor’s first-time candidate Naomi McQueen promised to continue working with her party to deliver health and education services and better local jobs.
In Nicklin, Labor’s Rob Skelton snatched the seat from the LNP’s Marty Hunt in 2020 by a tiny 0.1 per cent margin.
This election sees them battle it out again, with Mr Skelton vowing to fight for the $14b Lake Borumba Pumped Hydro scheme to create jobs and provide cheaper electricity and advocate for a Sunshine Coast Satellite Hospital.
Mr Hunt previously held the seat between 2017 and 2020, and has promised to “ensure safety where you live” through strong laws and early intervention and better rehabilitation.
Independent Sandy Bolton first won the Noosa electorate in 2017 from the LNP; at the 2020 state election Ms Bolton held the seat with a margin of 11.5 per cent.
Ms Bolton said she has worked with both major parties and held them to account, promising the “voices” of Noosa will be heard and expectations are delivered upon.
Noosa’s former and first female mayor, Clare Stewart, for LNP promised to back the LNP’s Making Queensland Safer Laws, advocate for investment into the region’s hospital and deliver sustainable housing and infrastructure.
The biggest issues facing the electorate include controversial state facilitated housing developments, which are set to overpower local planning schemes.
LNP MP and former detective, Dan Purdie, first won the seat of Ninderry in 2017, when the electorate was created.
He emphasised one of his top priorities is to ensure safety of residents by providing police with laws and resources they deserve.
Mr Purdie also
Labor candidate Jo Justo called out the electorate had “missed out” on things to make the community function and vowed to use her skills to “get things done.”
Horror head-on crashes on the Sunshine Motorway turned the busy road an election issue, with Ms Justo promising to ‘fast-track’ upgrades earlier this week.
Incumbent MP Andrew Powell has held the seat of Glass House since 2009.
He declared he had been consistently fighting for intersection upgrades along the D’Aguilar Hwy and improvement to Mount Mee Rd at Ocean View, with his sights sets on more road improvements in the northern part of the electorate.
Labor Humphrey Caspersz, first-time candidate and father of four said he was passionate about healthcare services closer to home and education and secure job opportunities.
He declared free kindy and TAFE are key initiatives he wants to keep in place for children.
Deputy opposition leader Jarrod Bleijie has firmly held onto to the seat of Kawana for the past 15 years.
He promised to continue fighting for the region’s infrastructure, including the Sunshine Coast Direct Rail to Maroochydore and the Mooloolah River Interchange.
Labor’s Jim Dawson, the man who’s name infamously slipped the premier’s mind during a local press conference, has kept an otherwise low profile during the election campaign.
He promised the electorate to keep delivering the Labor Government’s cost of living relief initiatives including 50 cent transport fares and 20 per cent off car registration.
LNP candidate Brent Mickelberg has held the Buderim seat since 2017.
He promised to work alongside state and federal LNP members to obtain services and infrastructure for the Sunshine Coast.
Labor candidate Adrian said he is driven to support Sunshine Coast families by supporting the Labor Government’s cost of living relief including 50 cent fares and free kindy.
“Every Queensland community will benefit from the Miles Government’s vision for renewables in the Sunshine State and it’s a team I am proud to be part of,” he said.
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