How the campaign for Brisbane Lord Mayor will be won
The Brisbane Lord Mayoralty will be “the main battle” in the upcoming election but fires, floods and now the coronavirus might overshadow the candidates’ best efforts.
Local
Don't miss out on the headlines from Local. Followed categories will be added to My News.
BRISBANE’s battle for City Hall has begun in earnest and political experts say it is about whether there’s an appetite for change and whose vision will capture the public’s imagination.
However, having their messages cut through may be difficult for candidates after a season of bushfires and floods and amid concerns about the coronavirus.
Biggest battleground wards in the Brisbane City Council election
All the candidates for Brisbane City Council in the 2020 Local Government Elections
QUT’s Dr Mary Crawford said the mayoralty was “the main battle” in the election.
“My own sense is, if people are looking for change, it will be reflected in the Lord Mayoralty battle and perhaps some other wards,” she said.
Dr Crawford said she did not think people had “turned on to” the local government elections.
“I think they’ve been more consumed with fires, then the floods, and of course they’re now thinking about the coronavirus and what that means,” she said.
“I think they’re thinking about the local government elections as perhaps a more distant issue.”
She said the LNP had anticipated a possible desire for change in community with Graham Quirk stepping down to make way for Adrian Schrinner to be the new Lord Mayor.
“Whether that will be enough for people, I’m not sure,” she said.
On the other hand Labor Lord Mayor candidate Pat Condren was “a new pair of eyes” and “more challenging of the status quo”.
The themes the two major party mayoral candidates were building about themselves and their opponent are becoming clearer.
QUT adjunct associate professor and former Labor Queensland speaker John Mickel said this was “a good thing” as March 28 neared.
“What we saw from the Lord Mayor was: ‘We have a vision for the city, and we’ll keep things steady’,” he said.
“From the Labor Party … fixing the footpaths fits in the theme he’s (Pat Condren’s) developed of looking after people in the suburbs.
“Now, it will be the extent that those themes resonate and are picked up by people.”
On the other hand, Labor’s attack line ‘End the rorts’ has been consistent while the LNP has taken to ‘Don’t get conned by Condren’.
Dr Crawford and Ass. Prof Mickel agreed that incumbency was a huge boon for all Brisbane City Council candidates.
The LNP, which has held the mayoralty since 2004 and the council majority since 2008, spent the first weeks of the campaign focusing on small business, local economies, parks and environment.
Labor made announcements on public and active transport, roads, libraries and community and sporting organisation grants.
Meanwhile, the Greens’ biggest moment was an announcement from Paddington ward candidate Donna Burns that they would send dump vouchers directly to renters. The party also promised to rework city planning legislation to more strictly enforce height limits.
BRISBANE LORD MAYOR CANDIDATES
Current Lord Mayor: Adrian Schrinner (LNP)
CANDIDATES
Kath Angus (Greens)
Patrick Condren (ALP)
John Dobinson
Benjamin Gorringe
Jeffrey Hodges
Frank Jordan
Karagh-Mae Kelly
Adrian Schrinner (LNP)
Controversial changes to inner-city parking get go-ahead
Brisbane City Council plans to introduce controversial rule changes to inner-city parking as soon as possible, despite claims some new unit projects might have no car park spaces at all.
Mater’s new chief takes reins as private health sector faces turmoil
The Mater’s new chief executive will continue the hospital group’s legacy of female leadership and will oversee 11 hospitals across Queensland during a period of turmoil in private healthcare.