Federal election 2022: Late spending splurge in Brisbane, Leichhardt

The LNP and Labor are pouring millions of dollars’ worth of promises into two Queensland electorates that are on a knife’s edge.

The major parties are tipping millions of dollars a day into promises to win over voters in the federal electorates of Brisbane and Leichhardt which sit on a knife’s edge.

Cancer clinics, headspace mental health centres, environmental action and upgrades to roads and night-life precincts make up the dozen promises made by the LNP and Labor in Brisbane over six days, averaging $2.5 million a day.

It reveals the tightening contest in the inner-city seat, as they throw resources at the seat.

Meanwhile, in the Cairns-based seat of Leichhardt there have been duelling announcements on doctor training places at the university, yellow crazy ant eradication cash and sporting club upgrades as they major parties seek to match or out do each other’s announcements.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison also paid a lightning quick visit to the seat on Monday, as he seeks to rally support.

While Labor had made only limited promises in Brisbane for the first four weeks of the campaign, its candidate Madonna Jarrett made a flurry of announcements from May 12 onwards including setting up a full-service headspace mental health centre, $250,000 to upgrade parking and traffic management in Caxton Street, as well as about $100,000 for upgrades at sporting clubs or bushcare groups. Labor also promised to match the government’s cancer care hub commitment.

LNP Member for Brisbane Trevor Evans hands out how-to-vote cards at pre-polling at City Hall. Picture: Liam Kidston

LNP Member for Brisbane Trevor Evans has made a range of commitments since May 12 as well, including sprucing up a range of popular precincts, with $250,000 going to Gerties Corner, $325,000 for Park Road Milton, $150,000 for Caxton Street, as well as $100,000 each for street greening at James and Heel St in New Farm and Upper St Pauls Tce at Spring Hill.

There’s also cash for koala rehabilitation, $1.25 million for Brisbane River revegetation, and soccer field upgrades

In Leichhardt, in the past seven days, both parties pledged $25 million for 20 new doctor training places at James Cook University as well as cash to eradicate yellow crazy ants.

The LNP also matched an earlier Labor commitment of $50 million for a CQU campus in Cairns CBD, Labor’s Elida Faith promised $1.5 million for improving Saltwater Creek, while the Liberal National MP Warren Entsch announced $1.6 million for redeveloping the Coral Coast Judo Club, $230,000 for lighting at the Cairns Cycling Club and $225,000 for Cairns City Lions scoreboard and fencing.

A Coalition campaign spokesman said Labor had promised to cut $350 million from the community development grants program, but had announced more than $800 million in promises for local projects without specifying where the funding would come from.

“Labor will either have to break their promises or put a hole in the Budget somewhere else,” he said.

A Labor spokeswoman said their commitment were based on advice from local or state government or clear community need.

“This is in clear contrast to the LNP who have made an art form of spending taxpayers’ money like it is Liberal National Party money and allocating it based on colour-coded spreadsheets,” she said.

Originally published as Federal election 2022: Late spending splurge in Brisbane, Leichhardt