Queensland Election 2017: Ministers drop Labor logo from campaign material ahead of poll

QUEENSLAND ministers have dropped the Labor logo from their campaign material in a curious pre-election move.

Jackie Trad addresses her supporters during her campaign launch. Picture: AAP/Josh Woning

QUEENSLAND ministers have dropped the Labor logo from their campaign material in a curious pre-election move.

But most have kept smiling pictures and references to Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, suggesting they are instead relying on her likability.

Advertising material sighted by The Courier-Mail shows eight ministers, including Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and Treasurer Curtis Pitt, have issued brochures to constituents lacking any Labor markings ahead of Saturday’s poll, although most of Ms Trad’s are branded.

Mr Pitt has left Labor colours off his corflutes, running bizarrely plain, yellow and black signs with “Curtis Pitt Vote 1” across his Cairns seat of Mulgrave.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (left) watches Treasurer Curtis Pitt speaking at a press conference in Cairns. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

Others who have gone it alone in their mailouts include Education Minister Kate Jones, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath, Police Minister Mark Ryan, Housing Minister Mick de Brenni, Child Safety Minister Shannon Fentiman and State Development Minister Anthony Lynham.

Several backbenchers have also dropped party references, including Peter Russo in Toohey, Jennifer Howard in Ipswich and Jim Pearce in Mirani.

Former police minister and Labor maverick Jo-Ann Miller has even traded in Labor’s “Putting Queenslanders first” motto for her own “Fight for what’s right” in Bundamba.

Pamphlets by Ms Jones, Ms Fentiman and Mr de Brenni mirror those used by candidates in every way, except for the missing party logo in the bottom right corner.

Mr Pitt’s seven-page newsletter, entitled Mulgrave Matters, lists his achievements in government and a message from the Premier, but mentions Labor just once in text on the last page and lacks political branding.

Individual ministers sought for a response as to why they were apparently distancing themselves from the political brand referred The Courier-Mail to Labor headquarters, as did a spokeswoman for the Premier.

“It’s no secret that Labor has a team of established community champions contesting the election across Queensland,” a statement by Labor state secretary Evan Moorhead said in response.

“The intent of this material was to highlight the credentials and achievements of our local MPs.”

Originally published as Queensland Election 2017: Ministers drop Labor logo from campaign material ahead of poll