Revealed: The issues which could decide the seats of Petrie, Dickson and Longman

Political expert Paul Williams has outlined major election issues for three key seats north of Brisbane - and revealed the party he expects to win.

Griffith University senior political lecturer Paul Williams.

With the Federal Election set for May 18, a political expert has highlighted some of the crucial issues facing voters in Dickson, Petrie and Longman.

Griffith University’s senior lecturer in politics and journalism Dr Paul Williams believes material issues will drive the decisions of our voters next month.

And 38 days out from polling, he is predicting an overall win for the Labor across the three seats.

“It will be bad news for LNP all around, I would predict,” Dr Williams said.

“The same issues will affect those seats so voters will have a lot in common.

“Material issues are going to be primary; such as jobs, cost of living is huge, services, infrastructure — all those bread-and-butter economics are very important in those sorts of seats.”

Dr Williams said despite Luke Howarth being a high profile LNP member for Petrie he expected the swing to see Labor home.

Federal LNP MP for Petrie Luke Howarth. Picture Kym Smith

“It’s a seat that Labor probably could of and should of won in 2016 except perhaps the electorate saw that Labor wasn’t ready to govern,” he said.

“Despite the fact Luke Howarth has been a high profile member and he seems to have been pretty well received, but I think he will be caught up in the swing.”

The political expert predicts a similar outcome for Dickson and Longman.

“Dickson is slightly different in a sense with Peter Dutton and his personality and ideology,” he said.

“Peter has been a much more controversial figure than someone like Luke Howarth so that would have brought more people on side because they love those sorts of politics.

“But at the same time it would have pushed others to the Labor Party and the Greens.

“Dutton would’ve captured the heart of the conservative vote.”

Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton speaks during House of Representatives Question Time at Parliament House in Canberra, Thursday, April 4, 2019.(AAP Image/Lukas Coch) NO ARCHIVING

But Dr Williams said he still thinks Labor candidate Ali France could win Dickson.

“Not just because Labor has a very good candidate and campaign but we also know there is a truck load of money being thrown at them,” he said.

“Longman should be fine for Labor but it is a must-watch seat because Labor holds it by the skin of their teeth.

“You would expect, given they recently endorsed the bi-election, there’s no evidence to suggest why the electorate would change their minds now.”

Federal Labor MP for Longman Susan Lamb.

Dr Williams said he believed those in the electorates have stopped listening to the coalition after recent leadership changes.