Queenslanders voted in all 77 local councils and two state seat by-elections on Saturday
Queensland Labor has taken a big hit in two state by-elections and state-wide council polls in a worrying sign for the October state election.
Queensland Labor is in danger of losing a prize state seat in a blow for new Labor premier Steven Miles months from the October general election.
LNP candidate Darren Zanow was on Saturday night looking likely to win the Ipswich West by-election after his Labor opponent Wendy Bourne suffered a 15.2 per cent swing against her.
Labor has held the seat for 19 out of 22 elections since 1960.
The LNP and One Nation had preferenced one another on their how-to-vote cards.
LNP candidate Darren Zanow needed to overcome a 14.3 per cent margin to clinch victory in the Labor stronghold.
But it was better news in the electorate of Inala, held by former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk before her resignation.
Labor candidate Margie Nightingale suffered a 30 per cent swing against her with 31.5 per cent of the vote in, while her LNP rival Trang Yen has booked a 10.9 per cent swing in her favour.
But it is unlikely Ms Yen’s swing will be enough to snatch the deep red Labor seat and Ms Nightingale will likely replace Ms Palaszczuk the next member for Inala.
She currently leads with 37.4 per cent of the first preference vote.
In the Brisbane mayoral race, LNP candidate and current Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner has retained his position to lead Queensland’s largest local council.
He leads with 46.4 per cent of first preferences with 39.6 per cent of the vote in.
Mr Schrinner has led Brisbane since 2019.
Counting continues.
Polls close
Polls have now closed in Queensland where millions have voted in local council elections and in by-elections for two state seats in the first electoral test for new premier Steven Miles.
Labor is expected to hold on to the safe seats of Inala and Ipswich West vacated by former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Jim Madden, but swings are expected.
Mr Miles was out on Saturday supporting his candidates in both seats, but is expecting to suffer a swing against Labor.
It’s the first electoral test for Mr Miles, who took succeeded Ms Palaszczuk late last year after he sudden resignation, before the October 26 state election.
LNP state leader David Crisafulli was also out on the hustings in Inala and Ipswich West on Saturday.
As well, there has been voting in all 77 local councils on Saturday.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is expected to retain his job, but there predictions of a “Greens-slide”, with the minor party expected to pick up several of the 26 wards in Brisbane City Council.
Tom Tate is expected to also get another term as mayor of the Gold Coast, while former Liberal MP Andrew Laming is making a run for mayor of Redland City.
Fifteen councils have mayors running unopposed, including former state LNP leader Lawrence Springborg in Goondiwindi. A further 21 councils will have new mayors after the retirements of the incumbents.
Another former federal MP, George Christenson, is running for a council job in the central Queensland city of Mackay.
Meanwhile, there have been complaints of long queues at a number of polling booths across the state.
An ECQ spokesperson said most queue times were “15 minutes or less”.
“Our team has confirmed we were required to replenish ballot papers at two polling booths this afternoon, and that ballot papers were securely delivered before stock was depleted at a small number of other booths,” the spokesperson said.
“Staffing is allocated to each booth according to expected voter turnout, which is analysed using data from recent Queensland and federal elections.”
More to come
Palaszczuk makes election day appearance
Annastacia Palaszczuk has offered the woman she hopes will replace her the “same advice my father gave me” as she cast her by-election ballot.
The former premier made a rare public appearance on Saturday afternoon at the polls with Labor candidate Margie Nightingale, saying the day was about “new beginnings”.
“I’m going to give her the same advice that my father gave me, and that is: Whoever comes through your door always comes there for a reason and to treat everyone with respect and to make sure that you really listen because they’ve come to you for help,” she told the ABC.
“So if Margie does that, she’ll be a very, very good local member.”
Ms Palaszczuk retired from politics on her own terms late last year following months of speculation about her leadership.
Saturday’s by-election will be the first time in over 30 years that Inala won’t be held by someone with the last name Palaszczuk.
The seat was held by her father, Henry, since its creation in 1992. She took over the legacy when she entered the political arena in 2006.
Ms Nightingale, a former teacher, said she would focus on “progress” should she win.
“I’ll be looking at doing that and I understand what this community needs and I’m ready to listen and I’m really ready to do the hard work,” the hopeful told the ABC.
Ms Palaszczuk wasn’t the only high profile visitor on the campaign trail.
Ms Nightingale was also joined on the hustings by treasurer Cameron Dick and Premier Steven Miles.
The pair laughed as the posed for pictures with Noodles the dog outside the Inala State School.
The battle for Inala, which Labor holds on 28.2 per cent margin, is just one of the two by-elections being held in Queensland on Saturday.
Both Inala and Ipswich West – which was prompted after Labor’s Jim Madden resigned to run for local council – are deep in traditional Labor heartland.
Ipswich West is held by Labor on a margin of 14.2 per cent.
Both results are being keenly anticipated as an early gauge of where the electorate is sitting ahead of the general election in October.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a swing in the two by-elections would not necessarily spell the beginning of the end for Mr Miles.
“We’ll wait and see when the election happens in October, I expect there’ll be a swing away from the government in these by elections today,” Mr Albanese said.
“That is what happens in by elections, normally, but I think that, you know, people will have a look at the LNP in Queensland very closely before October.”
Ahead of the polls opening, a Newspoll published by the Australian showed the LNP opposition was ahead of Labor 54 to 46 per cent after preferences.
If repeated at the general election in October, it would result in a loss of 18 Labor seats – four more than the LNP needs to win a majority.
State opposition leader David Crisafulli said issues such as youth crime and wait times for surgery and home ownership were on the top of people’s minds.
“When I look at the challenges facing Queenslanders, I see things like the youth crime crisis that’s running out of control, I see things like a health system where people are waiting an inordinate amount of time for surgery and ambulance ramping is out of control,” Mr Crisafulli told Sky News.
“You’ve got a generation of young Queenslanders who don’t believe they’ll ever own their home – we’ve got the lowest homeownership rate in the country.
“Youth crime is just absolutely tearing the heart and soul out of the communities.
“This is an opportunity for these voters on behalf of every Queenslander to send a message to the state Labor government that things just aren’t right and the state’s not heading in the right direction under their leadership.”
Mr Miles has previously said it would be “very, very challenging,” for Labor to be reelected for a fourth term.
Local government elections
Millions of Queenslanders will also be lining up across the state to vote in local council elections.
The state is home to Australia’s two biggest local councils, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Buoyed by their success at the 2022 federal election, the Greens are making a play for Brisbane City.
LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is expected to hold on to Brisbane’s top job, despite challenges from Labor’s Tracey Price and the high-profile Greens councillor Jonathan Sriranganathan.
On the Gold Coast, Tom Tate is expected to be returned as mayor, a position he has held since 2012.
Incumbent councillor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden is seeking re-election despite facing a murder charge.
At least 1,010,000 Queenslanders had already cast their vote ahead of Saturday’s local government elections, with about 235,000 of the 440,000 postal votes returned as of Wednesday.
The Queensland Electoral Commission said 3.65 million people enrolled to vote, equating to 97.6 per cent of the state’s population eligible to vote.
About 45 per cent of Queenslanders had voted early at around 170 early voting centres statewide.
Voting booths opened at 8am and counting will begin at 6pm when polls close.
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