Queensland Election 2017: ‘Put Labor last’ sparks ALP fears over marginal electorates

LABOR fears a looming LNP decision to number the ALP last on how-to-vote cards in regional seats will make it harder for the Government to retain critical electorates outside the southeast.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is worried about the LNP’s decision to put Labor last on how to vote cards. Picture: AAP/Darren England

LABOR fears a looming LNP decision to number the ALP last on how-to-vote cards in regional seats will make it harder for the Government to retain critical electorates outside the southeast.

The LNP’s State Executive has asked its state electorate councils for their preferred preference allocations ahead of a meeting on Friday.

Multiple regional LNP MPs and candidates are understood to have elected to put Labor last.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday urged voters to “think long and hard” before casting their votes in light of the move.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, campaigning in Rockhampton, warned voters that Tim Nicholls needed One Nation’s support in order to form government. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Labor has been ramping up its campaign to link LNP Leader Tim Nicholls to One Nation in a bid to counter it.

“I’ll agree with Campbell Newman here on one thing and one thing only, that Tim Nicholls cannot form government in his own right,” Ms Palaszczuk said yesterday.

“The only way that he can form government is with a coalition with One Nation and that is the choice that Queenslanders will be faced with in this campaign.

“And I really ask Queenslanders to think long and hard about that.”

Her Keppel MP Brittany Lauga – who is in the sights of both One Nation and the LNP – admitted she was also concerned by the move.

But she stopped short of saying it could cost her the Central Queensland seat.

Keppel MP Brittany Lauga could suffer from the LNP putting Labor last on how to vote cards. Picture: Annette Dew

Both Labor and the LNP have focused the start of their campaigns on marginal electorates at threat from One Nation.

Ms Palaszczuk chose the seat of Rockhampton on Thursday to announce another jobs policy yesterday, flanked by both her new Rockhampton candidate Barry O’Rourke and Ms Lauga.

If re-elected, Labor will pour another $180 million into its Skilling Queenslanders for Work program over three years.

The extra funding is expected to help train a further 18,000 jobseekers by 2021.

Ms Palaszczuk then jetted to Bundaberg where she spoke at a function for MP Leanne Donaldson, who is battling to hold the marginal electorate – which she holds with a margin of just 0.5 per cent – for Labor against a challenge from both the LNP and One Nation.

Ms Donaldson quit the ministry last year over unpaid rates and rego bills.

Originally published as Queensland Election 2017: ‘Put Labor last’ sparks ALP fears over marginal electorates