Queensland State Government: Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon's first cabinet meeting as Environment Minister

The Gold Coast’s only Labor MP has said being named as Queensland’s youngest cabinet minister is a “great step forward” for the city.

• Revealed: What happened in every Gold Coast seat
• New hospitals, school upgrades: What Labor promised Coast
• Palaszczuk holds firm on border closures

THE Gold Coast’s only Labor MP has said being named as Queensland’s youngest cabinet minister is a “great step forward” for the city.

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon attended her first cabinet meeting on Monday, after Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced she would become Environment Minister last week.

The announcement made Ms Scanlon the youngest Minister in the state’s history.

Speaking after her first cabinet meeting she said: “This is a great step forward for the Gold Coast.

“For years the LNP have taken the Gold Coast for granted.

Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon has attended her first cabinet meeting as Environment Minister. Photo: Supplied

“As a born and bred Gold Coaster, the lack of representation from LNP members on the Coast is something that has long frustrated me.

“This gives Gold Coasters a seat at the table.

“It’s been a tough 12 months. But the future is bright for our city.

“I’ll continue to work hard to give Gold Coasters a voice and fight for things that matter.”

The Premier said last week she expected her ministers to focus squarely on Queensland’s economic recovery and providing the services all Queenslanders need.

“Queenslanders expect us to get on with implementing our Economic Recovery Plan,” she said on Wednesday.

“They expect the roads, schools and hospitals we need and the jobs that go with building them.

“It is our job to get on with the job and that’s exactly what we will do.”

EARLIER: 

LABOR’S strong leadership has brought a surge in party support on the Gold Coast where it will aim to keep bolstering its foothold, according to Gaven MP Meaghan Scanlon.

The Bulletin has crunched the numbers in the poll and Labor had a large swing in support in the north, seeing a consistent boost in votes at Gaven, Theodore and Coomera.

In Gaven, Ms Scanlon - who stole the seat off LNP incumbent Sid Cramp when she first stood for it in 2017 for a major Labor breakthrough on the Gold Coast - has increased her primary vote by more than six per cent. On Saturday, the ALP vote increased by more than five per cent in Theodore and Coomera.

Member for Gaven Meaghan Scanlon at her election party with her brother Callum (left) and mum Margaret (right) with volunteers at Country Paradise Parklands in Nerang. Picture: NIGEL HALLETT

The ALP claimed a historic victory overall, claiming 49 seats to the LNP’s 34.

Celebrating with supporters on Saturday night the Gold Coast’s only Labor MP told the Bulletin she believed the election had come down to its leaders: “It came down to the leadership of the LNP and the agenda they were putting forward.

“When you lined the two leaders up, it’s clear people had faith in Annastacia, and it’s also clear they had faith in a number of our candidates.

“Our focus (now) will be on delivering a budget and continuing to progress through the economic recovery plan. It’s incredibly important to the Gold Coast.

“We know our community has been incredibly impacted by the pandemic so my focus will be on making sure the Coast gets what it deserves.”

Labor is confident the party will start to build a strong base after huge improvement in the ALP vote across the city.

Asked about the surge towards Labor in seats previously considered LNP strongholds, Ms Scanlon said: “I’ve always held the view (Theodore and Coomera) were winnable for Labor, (even if it’s) difficult given the incumbency factor. But if you look at who has delivered in those communities it’s the Palaszczuk Government which has delivered in spades.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk following her election win on Saturday night. Photographer: Liam Kidston

“At the end of the day it has come down to people seeing what we’ve delivered in comparison to what the LNP members have delivered, which is nothing essentially.”

Gold Coast Senator Murray Watt: “Labor’s vote on the Gold Coast is very encouraging.

“Four years ago Labor was completely missing from the State’s second biggest city, and we have now got a federal representative, at least one State member and a vote that’s growing across the city.

“There’s a lot more work to be done. But the foundations are well and truly in place.”

Experienced MPs predict it could be days before the final vote is known in some close ballots due to the sheer number of postal votes.

LNP’s Coomera MP Michael Crandon said: “It is early days. They still have a lot of postals. There were over 13,000 postal votes.

“They only counted about 5700, maybe 5750 of them because the others haven’t arrived yet. So it is early days, we’re hopeful obviously.

Kaylee Campradt enjoys the night while waiting for the Tally count for the seat of Currumbin. Photo: Scott Powick

“On the numbers I’m on the black, not the red. We will wait and see how things transpire over the next few days as the count continues.”

On an indicative count, before all preferences are counted, Mr Crandon was on 51.45 per cent and Labor’s Chris Johnson on 48.55 per cent.

Other Coast seats still undecided when the Bulletin went to print were Theodore, Burleigh and Currumbin.

Labor strategists believe they have the stronger chance in Currumbin which is close between Kaylee Campradt and LNP incumbent Laura Gerber.

Follow @JournoBrenn