LNP MPs targeting Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon seat of Gaven signals it will be critical for win
The LNP is staging an unprecedented blitz on a must-win Gold Coast seat with party heavyweights arriving at pre-polling in Meaghan Scanlon’s Gaven electorate.
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The LNP is staging an unprecedented blitz on a Gold Coast seat with party heavyweights arriving at pre-polling in Meaghan Scanlon’s Gaven electorate.
The move – which Labor later branded as “desperation” – prompted electoral officials to control crowding by officials outside the Nerang booth.
It signals the northern Coast seat will be a key battleground to the LNP winning government.
Sitting Coast LNP MPs began arriving early on Thursday morning with frontbencher Ros Bates leaving her Mudgeeraba electorate to join LNP Gaven candidate Bianca Stone.
Other MPs by mid-morning soon joined her. Opposition environment spokesperson Sam O’Connor dropped by from Bonney.
Former LNP leader and long serving Surfers Paradise MP John-Paul Langbroek was handing out how-to-vote cards, taking refuge from the heat under a tarp.
Burleigh MP Michael Hart, who is retiring at this poll, was front and centre at the gate entrance organising LNP booth workers. They were soon joined by Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens, Fadden federal MP Cameron Caldwell and former Premier Rob Borbidge.
Mr O’Connor admits the seat will be critical for the party to gain government.
“It’s a really important seat for us. If we can pick up Gaven it will make government a lot easier,” he said.
“For me as the member for Bonney, I want Bianca as my neighbouring MP, so I’m happy to come out and lend a hand. It will be a really tough vote and we will be hustling for every vote.”
Ms Scanlon stood back, at the entrance to the booth, and smiled as voters arrived.
“It just goes to show how desperate the LNP are — if only they had paid this much attention to the Gold Coast when they were in power,” she said.
“Every one of these blokes who rocked up voted to make abortion a crime. I’m the only serving Gold Coast MP who fought to give women the right to choose their own health care.”
Like most booth workers covering the Nerang pre-poll across the past two weeks, Mr O’Connor has noticed a consistent trend.
“It has been positive (the response) but a lot of people have not been taking anything,” he said.
“It’s going to be close and we will be fighting for every vote. Bianca could not have worked harder in the campaign.
“So hopefully she can bring it home. We are all here supporting her. It’s a really important area. It could determine the next government of Queensland.”
Ms Stone, who was busy talking to voters entering the booth, told the Bulletin: “It’s great to see the support I’m getting.”
During the campaign leading up to Saturday’s election, Ms Scanlon has maintained she was the “underdog”. Her margin in Gaven is 7.8 per cent.
The Labor government has 51 seats in Queensland parliament after losing Ipswich-West at a March by-election.
Of those, 23 have a margin of less than 10 per cent. Latest polling shows a 9.2 per cent swing since 2020.
Ms Scanlon’s lead was always likely to be cut following the 2020 boost due to the Government’s handling of Covid.
The race in Gaven is tipped to be tight because Ms Scanlon, Australia’s youngest housing minister, enjoys a strong personal vote.
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