Queensland election 2017: LNP preferences Jackie Trad over Greens

QUEENSLAND’S conservative parties are set to raise eyebrows with some of their preference choices, with the Deputy Premier an unlikely beneficiary of the LNP.

One Nation leader Pauline Hanson addresses Gladstone locals at a stopover for her Battler Bus. Picture: Dave Hunt/AAP

JACKIE Trad will not be numbered lower than her Greens rival on how-to-vote cards handed out by the LNP in South Brisbane in the lead-up to the November 25 election.

The Courier-Mail has been told the party is expected to approve placing Greens candidate Amy MacMahon lower instead.

It comes after a large number of LNP state executive members called for Ms Trad to be numbered last during a meeting on Friday.

Party leader Tim Nicholls has publicly accused the Greens of posing the greatest threat to Queensland’s economy.

TAKE TODAY’S POLL QUESTION

The party is expected, however, to preference both Labor and the Greens lower than One Nation candidates in some regional seats, with final confirmation by the end of the week.

Meanwhile, One Nation yesterday locked in its preferences for the upcoming election, with the resurgent right-wing party set to snub the major parties in nearly every seat.

One Nation will preference the Greens last in all 61 seats it is contesting, with sitting MPs from both sides of politics to be numbered second last.

Deputy Premier Jackie Trad will get a boost from the LNP on their how-to-vote cards.

This includes two seats the LNP is battling Labor to retain, with One Nation revealing to The Courier-Mail it would place both the LNP’s Burdekin candidate Dale Last and the LNP’s Member for Mansfield Ian Walker second last, below Labor.

The move could make it harder for the LNP to retain the two seats.

Party leader Pauline Hanson defended the decision to put all sitting MPs second last, above the Greens, insisting her party did not owe the two major parties anything and thus would not be preferencing them in a favourable way.

“We have done this to make sure we don’t favour the LNP or Labor,” she said.

Senator Hanson also revealed she did not have a preferred premier out of Annastacia Palaszczuk or Tim Nicholls, saying she had shown in Federal Parliament she was able to manage the balance of power.

“If you remember prior to the last federal election I think the Prime Minister said I would not be welcome in the Parliament, and I have had a pretty good working relationship with the Coalition since then,” she said.

“I can assure you when it comes to balance of power in that Parliament, and who wants to be on those leather ministerial seats, they will talk to One Nation.”

Originally published as Queensland election 2017: LNP preferences Jackie Trad over Greens