Townsville candidates believe political mood has shifted on the eve of the election

Townsville and Mundingburra’s leading candidates believe preferences will have a huge factor in the results, and that the mood is not leaning towards LNP as first thought.

Tyler Stewart supporting her dad Townsville MP Scott Stewart at the West End pre-polling centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

Townsville political candidates are finding it difficult to determine the overall mood of early voters and believe the community sentiment is swinging different ways, even by the hour.

But LNP’s dominance in the Townsville, Mundingburra and Thuringowa electorates is not as convincing compared to early last week, when the party was leading with 55 per cent of the vote.

Labor appears to be shortening that divide, which could strengthen the KAP’s opportunity to take two seats through preferences and potentially hold the resulting LNP minor government to ransom.

Although Townsville candidates downplayed leaked Labor polls that KAP could take Mundingburra and Thuringowa, they believed preferences will play a significant part in the result, and that results could be a drawn out process.

Townsville’s KAP candidate Margie Ryder said the poll results were “white noise” but that if they were accurate then she would be the one that missed out.

Townsville KAP candidate Margie Ryder at the West End pre-polling centre. She said polls were “white noise” as she hoped to pull a Steve Bradbury. Picture: Evan Morgan

But she hoped she could pull a Steven Bradbury in politics, and overtake the fallen two major parties.

“People definitely want to see a change but it’s not the change that was happening in the local government,” Ms Ryder said.

“This one they’re more focused, they’re really making their vote count … I would have said the first couple of days ‘Liberal, Liberal, Liberal’ but I think they’re definitely not winning this fight at the moment, not at this booth anyway.”

KAP candidates Michael Pugh and Reuben Richardson. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Mundingburra’s KAP candidate Michael Pugh said the vibe at the Aitkenvale PCYC voting booth has been positive towards the minor party, but that the sentiment came in waves.

Mr Pugh said crime was the significant problem and the KAP had offered unique situations through its Castle law and rural relocation policies, which had grabbed the attention of voters.

“You get some rushes of, you know the majors, and then back to the KAP, but we’ve had some really positive support through pre-poll,” Mr Pugh said.

Independent Townsville candidate Wesley Newman said he hoped that the three seats being contested would be shared across different interests.

“You know, it’s evident out there that people are fed up with the major parties, and they’re becoming comfortable to park their vote with a minor party such as the KAP.

“And you know what, I’m really happy to see that people are walking through the polling booths now and holding the major parties to account for not being tougher on crime in the last four years.”

Townsville Independent Wesley Newman said he hoped the three seats would be held by different parties and representatives, rather than all by Labor or all by LNP.

Townsville LNP candidate Adam Ballie said preferences could make the outcome unpredictable. Picture: Evan Morgan

“It’d be good to have some balance there, is what I’d like to see.”

Mr Newman said he would have thought crime would be the main priority, but that abortion was still a factor judging from the questions of early voters, which he had not expected.

Townsville LNP candidate Adam Baillie said preferences for the electorate historically had an impact on the results, and that even though there was a desire for change, this could only happen if people voted for it.

LNP candidate Janelle Poole at the Aitkenvale PCYC. She said she worked hard but that the final outcome was “in the lap of the gods”. Picture: Evan Morgan

“Preference flows can disrupt things in a whole number of unpredictable ways but, look, I don’t know what the future holds,” Mr Baillie said.

“It is up to Townsville, it is up to the people in the electorate of Townsville to make that decision and hopefully we’ve done enough to convince them that not just we have the right plan, but we have the capability and desire to make real positive change for the State of Queensland.”

Mundingburra LNP candidate Janelle Poole, at risk of losing an anti-Labor sentiment in preferences to Mr Pugh, said the outcome was “in the lap of the gods.”

Townsville MP Scott Stewart votes at the West End pre-polling centre. Picture: Evan Morgan

“You just have to go, ‘I have done enough over the last 12 months’, people have heard about our priorities, I have knocked on thousands of doors, I have listened to their priorities.

“Their mind is made up when they come through, and it is just coming back to those priorities for our community – crime, health, housing, cost of living.”

Labor’s Townsville MP Scott Stewart said it was going to be a close result if he was able to hold onto the seat.

Mundingburra MP Les Walker votes at the Aitkenvale PCYC. Picture: Evan Morgan

He said it would come down to preferences and that the LNP supporters at the start of early voting had changed to ALP.

“I have given it my absolute 110 per cent, there is nothing more that I can do or to give,” Mr Stewart said.

Mundingburra Labor MP Les Walker said the vote had been mixed but that “I am here to in”, and he would not entertain the likelihood of preferences having an impact.

He said he worked hard in the one term that he served focused on roads, hospital upgrades, and affordable housing projects.

“I’ve been so focused on this campaign, I’ve been doing this for four years in public life for 24 years, and I’ve always played to win,” Mr Walker said.

“I haven’t gone past that in my thought process, a and I’m still focused intensely on the big election … and we’ll wait and see.

Originally published as Townsville candidates believe political mood has shifted on the eve of the election