Queensland Election: Candidates wait as COVID-19 restrictions continue

Candidates have been caught in limbo as the State election approaches with COVID-19 restrictions still in place.

ALL of us are watching the road map ahead for the lifting of restrictions introduced for COVID-19. But none more so than the candidates standing at the State election in October. Because at the moment, there is no road ahead, only a stop sign.

The ALP’s Kaylee Campradt in Currumbin undertook extensive door knocking in the southern seat long before coronavirus and the LNP endorsed Laura Gerber who won in a tight contest in the March by-election.

Pre-poll voting at Nerang at the last poll. Photo of Meaghan Scanlon handing out how to vote flyers. Photo by Richard Gosling

Similarly, the LNP’s Kirsten Jackson, prior to the COVID restrictions, was out doorknocking in the marginal Gaven electorate, targeting suburbs like Nerang where the LNP need to take votes off the sitting MP Meaghan Scanlon.

If the LNP win Gaven on October 31 and beat the young ALP MP, they are likely to win government.

But drive around Pacific Pines and Nerang and the only sign of an election pending is the location of Ms Scanlon’s bus with her photograph and its support frontline workers logo.

Ms Jackson has been busy around the electorate, dropping in to the struggling small businesses, posting about it on her official election Facebook page.

But LNP strategists admit there has never been a lead-up to a poll like this one.

“You could effectively doorknock right now, so long as you keep to COVID restrictions,” a leading LNP campaigner said.

“But I don’t think it would be looked upon fondly. People are still of the view ‘you stay your distance away from me’. You can still get the message out. You could do letter-box dropping or direct mail.”

The LNP has been extremely effective in recent campaigns maintaining a stronghold on what could be Coast Labor seats by visiting enemy territory. Party members suggest Moncrieff MP Angie Bell did this in Nerang during the federal poll.

Gaven LNP candidate Kirsten Jackson in the electorate. Picture Glenn Hampson

“Anyone who thinks they can win an election on social media is an idiot. It is important that people get their information online as well. With the splinter parties, One Nation and Clive Palmer, no-one knows who their candidates are (even with social media).

“It’s not about how much money you spend, it’s how well you are entrenched in the community. How well you’re known at the sports clubs.”

For this campaign, more than any other, that community touch and personal profile will play a much bigger role in the outcome.

Ms Campradt admits her campaigning this time is being limited to social media engagement and direct phone calls.

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“We have been unable to do direct face-to-face contact, because of COVID-19,” she says. “As the restrictions are lifted in line with the health advice, more traditional campaigning methods will be undertaken.”

Candidates are so concerned about a COVID backlash, charity meetings where social distancing is observed are not publicised. Team leaders are advising volunteers that leaflet drops will only be undertaken by the candidate.

Ms Campradt said: “The ALP always has a high-visibility, direct voter contact approach – mainly because we don’t have the huge election budgets of the LNP. In the by-election they were publicly telling everyone their budget was $400,000.”

ALP candidate Kaylee Campradt .(AAP Image/Glenn Hunt)

“We can’t win in areas like advertising, so it’s putting the running shoes on and hitting the doors and streets. This will be the same once we are able to do these activities. I expect that while we are not able to do this yet, it can’t be too far away. There is a community standard, as well as a health standard to be upheld.”

The LNP is weighing up on its strategy as it tries to determine Labor’s plan regarding restrictions.

“We don’t know politically what (Premier Annastacia) Palaszczuk is up to,” an LNP insider says. “Is the best thing for them to keep the state shut down and do a postal vote?”

The strong possibility will be a repeat of the local government poll and Currumbin by-election during which no-one handed out how-to-vote cards and political messaging was left to the advertising on fences outside schools.

LNP specifically targeted the Premier and Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and that final bullet in the campaign saved their seat.