Townsville’s Labor MPs respond to polling numbers against them

Thuringowa MP Aaron Harper knows he is fighting to keep his job after exit polls revealed 55 per cent in favour of LNP, but believes he should not be written off.

Thuringowa incumbent Labor MP Aaron Harper at the Greenwood Park Sporting Complex on the first morning of prepolling.

Thuringowa’s incumbent MP Aaron Harper says he should not be written off this early in the election campaign, despite polling showing more than half the early voters at one of his main polling booths had chosen LNP.

Voters interviewed at early voting centres across Townsville expressed anger at crime levels in their electorate, including local councillor Kristian Price, which had turned them off the long-lasting Labor government.

But Mr Harper said he had been predicted to lose his past three elections and yet was able to overcome the naysayers, saying health issues such as abortions and voluntary assisted dying was having more of an impact at voting booths than first expected.

The three Townsville-based Labor MPs are facing a wipeout after early polling showing a huge shift towards LNP candidates, but they believe the results of the first few days are not reflective of the final result.

“We’re three days in, it’s too early to really put a marker on it,” Mr Harper said.

The Bulletin asked 100 voters at the early voting centre at Greenwood Park Sporting Complex who they had voted for, with 55 per cent saying they voted for LNP, almost 20 per cent voting for Labor, and almost 15 per cent backing KAP.

Five per cent voted for independents, four per cent voted for One Nation and one per cent voted for The Greens.

“I’ve been written off plenty of times,” Mr Harper said.

“I’m a realist, mate, I get there’s a challenge ahead, but I’m determined to make change.

“But like I said I’ve had a track record of delivering a lot of stuff in Thuringowa and it’s kind of interesting this election, I’m probably $17m ahead of the major opponent, which is the LNP, in terms of the ambulance station commitment and the boat ramp commitment and some other smaller commitments to clubs and schools.

“I’ve got a bit more to announce over the next week, so let’s say $20m ahead of them.”

Townsville’s Division 4 councillor Kristian Price was one such fired-up LNP voter on the first day of pre-poll in Thuringowa this week.

Townsville councillor Kristian Price said he voted for the LNP believing it would resolve the crime issue. Picture: Shae Beplate.

He was not won over with a $5m boat ramp for the council-owned Ross River Dam, and believed Labor should have better focused on youth crime over past years.

“They haven’t done enough as far as I’m concerned,” Mr Price said.

“I believe it’s time for change and I think that’s what everyone’s thinking.”

In August Mr Harper accused the council of “sucking on the teat of State Government” after councillors rejected using $8m offered by the state government to develop a dirt road in Kelso to alleviate traffic congestion during Riverway Drive upgrades.

Townsville incumbent MP Scott Stewart said voters had been a “mixed bag” on the first days of early voting judging from the ratio of people taking his how-to-vote cards.

Townsville Labor MP Scott Stewart at an early polling centre. Picture: Chris Burns

He said in the 2020 election it had been predicted from early polling results that he would lose, and yet instead he was able to increase his margin.

“From my experience now I’ve been doing this, this is my fourth election, what I do see though is particularly early on in my experience is the LNP voters come out early and vote early,” Mr Stewart said.

“That seems to change from my experience as pre-poll goes on.

“They (LNP) want to get their point across and out they come.”

Labor’s incumbent Mundingburra MP Les Walker believed voters were more discerning and not wanting a repeat of Townsville’s local government election, in which people voted for a mayor they knew little about.

Mundingburra candidates Les Walker offers how-to-vote cards to voters. Photo: Daniel Shirkie.

But he said the numbers at early voting centres were fewer when compared to the 2020 state election.

Mr Walker said voters’ sentiment seemed to be “up and down”.

“We get a run and they get a run, and it’s mixed, but it’s only day three of 10, and when I talk to the returning officers they’re not getting the numbers through the door like they did in the Townsville City Council election – the numbers are down.

“I don’t know, I haven’t checked with the other guys (Labor MPs), but I’ll tell you on the 27th what the polls are.”

He said LNP candidates needed to be more detailed and transparent about their positions on key issues in the region, as they were accused of avoiding doing so.

Mr Walker said the LNP campaign indicated a similarity to the controversial Newman Government and which the then Mundingburra MP David Crisafulli represented before being defeated in 2015.

“I think we’re back to the future,” Mr Walker said.

Originally published as Townsville’s Labor MPs respond to polling numbers against them