Most Broadwater candidates against cruise ship terminal as Wavebreak Island shapes as top election issue

MOST candidates are against it, but the cruise ship terminal is still the No. 1 issue for voters in Broadwater.

MOST candidates are against it, but the cruise ship terminal is still the No. 1 issue for voters in Broadwater — two weeks out from the election.

The LNP, ALP, Greens, Palmer United Party and Family First political prospects all yesterday nominated the Broadwater project as the most talked about topic in the past two weeks.

And only Family First candidate Stuart Ballantyne has declared his support for the development.

The ALP’s Penny Toland stands strongly against it, while her rival, the LNP’s Verity Barton, has come over to the same side in the lead-up to the election.

The Greens and the Palmer United Party are also among the terminal’s critics in the northern Gold Coast seat.

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Ironically, political experts believe the mostly united stance taken by the parties could cancel the topic out as an issue in the Broadwater electorate by January 31 and instead place the emphasis on the performance of candidates.

Updated artists impressions of ASF consortium’s controversial plans for the Wavebreak Island cruise ship terminal.

The change could impact on Ms Barton the most since she might this week be charged by the police for driving without a licence after she failed to pay road tolls.

Ms Barton yesterday declined to discuss the issue, beyond saying she had “already apologised and hoped that others learnt from her mistakes”.

Ms Toland said a few voters had mentioned the matter concerning Ms Barton when she was out campaigning.

“It is up to voters to decide what is acceptable behaviour,” she said.

Ms Toland continued to argue that the cruise ship terminal would influence voters the most on January 31 and claimed it would count against Ms Barton as well since she had only made her opposition clear recently.

“She was given the chance to vote against it when we put a Bill before the house last year and she did not,” she said.

Ms Barton said she supported “continuing the process” at the time, but was now against it moving ahead.

“I don’t think the Broadwater or Wavebreak Island are the right place for this,” she said.

Mr Ballantyne, who admitted to having a slim chance of being elected, said he was in favour of the project because of the benefits it would deliver to Gold Coast businesses.

Broadwater facts

Held by: Verity Barton, LNP, 11.3 per cent margin

Previously: Peter-Kaye Croft

Suburbs: Paradise Point, Runaway Bay, Biggera Waters, Labrador

Candidates:

Kwon, Daniel (Greens)

Javanmard, Amin-Reza (Independent)

Pollock, Phil (One Nation)

Toland, Penny (Labor)

Sokolov, Gueorgui (Palmer United Party)

Barton, Verity (LNP)

Ballantyne, Stuart (Family First)