Labor’s urgent plea for candidates for ‘winnable’ seats
Queensland Labor is struggling to recruit candidates for seats the party considers ‘winnable’ at the October state poll, after the Miles government suffered massive swings in recent by-elections.
Queensland Labor is struggling to recruit candidates for even seats it considers “winnable” at the October state poll, after the Miles government suffered massive swings in recent twin by-elections.
A leaked internal memo to the ALP rank-and-file this week shows Labor is “urgently” pleading for members to nominate for six “winnable” LNP seats in Brisbane, the Gold and Sunshine coasts, and in the Whitsundays, and hasn’t had any viable expressions of interest in 19 more safe conservative-held seats.
The April 9 missive from state secretary Kate Flanders reveals Labor is struggling to field a “full team” of candidates in the state’s 93 seats, forcing the “urgent call for expressions of interest”.
“The administrative committee is urgently seeking candidates to field a full team of 93 candidates in October. Women members are especially encouraged to submit EOIs. If you have thought about running but weren’t sure, please contact (Flanders),” Ms Flanders wrote to all Labor members.
The “winnable” seats without Labor candidates are Everton (held by the LNP’s Tim Mander on 2.24 per cent), Glass House (LNP’s Andrew Powell, 1.58 per cent), Whitsunday (LNP’s Amanda Camm, 3.26 per cent), Theodore (LNP’s Mark Boothman, 3.3 per cent), Mermaid Beach (LNP’s Ray Stevens, 4.39 per cent) and Oodgeroo (where former LNP senator Amanda Stoker has replaced retiring MP Mark Robinson as the LNP candidate, 4.48 per cent).
After losing the “safe” Labor seat of Ipswich West and copping a 21 per cent swing in former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s electorate of Inala at last month’s by-elections, some Labor MPs and members said the mood inside the party was bleak.
One Labor insider said it was not surprising it was a scramble to find candidates. “Timing is everything in politics and 2024 is not necessarily looking like our time. Why on Earth would you put your hand up now?”
But another senior Labor source said there was still a “level of hope” among MPs.
“I think people have been encouraged by his (Miles’s) leadership, he is very inclusive of caucus and cabinet,” they said.
Senior figures in the party believe Ms Palaszczuk’s departure in December has helped the third-term Labor government rebrand ahead of the election, but say the “it’s time” factor will still be difficult for Mr Miles to overcome.
LNP leader David Crisafulli’s small-target political strategy – focused mainly on crime and health – has slowly chipped away Labor’s support since the 2020 election but Mr Crisafulli’s refusal to outline policy positions on key areas such as energy and the economy could leave him open to attacks.
Mr Miles and his frontbench will use debate on Labor’s renewables target bill next week to put pressure on the LNP over its failure to outline an energy policy.
A number of Labor MPs The Weekend Australian spoke to rejected the notion the party’s electoral prospects had anything to do with the urgent call for expressions of interests and said both major parties had difficulties recruiting quality candidates in every seat.
One Labor MP said the mood in caucus “wasn’t too bad” and believed the party still had a chance of winning “minority or a slim majority”.
“Everyone was a bit grizzly after the by-elections, but they know they have to get going now with campaigning,” they said.
“We are finally putting to bed all of those legacy issues that (Palaszczuk) left us with – all the Olympics bullshit – so we can get on with things that people actually care about.” t
By the end of next week, Labor expects to have endorsed 64 candidates, while the LNP has formally endorsed just 25.
LNP state director Ben Riley this week opened nominations for 32 of the party’s 35 held seats.
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