ALP keeps Newman waiting on poll rival

WHILE Campbell Newman has stepped into the ring, there is no sign of his Labor opponent.

IT promises to be the prize fight of the next Queensland election, but while Campbell Newman has stepped into the ring, there is no sign of his Labor opponent.

After months of speculation that the Queensland Premier was looking to swap to a safer seat, Mr Newman was yesterday ­confirmed as the Liberal National Party candidate for Ashgrove.

While successive polls show Mr Newman could lose the leafy inner-Brisbane seat, which he holds with a 5.7 per cent margin, it is the only electorate that Labor has yet to open up for nomin­ations for candidates.

Bligh government minister Kate Jones, who lost the seat to Mr Newman at the 2012 poll, is expected to recontest although she may face a challenge from local Rod Harding.

Ms Jones, who gave birth to her second child, Grace, in February, last night said she had yet to decide if she would run.

“I will make my decision when the party calls for nominations,’’ she said.

ALP insiders said Ms Jones would likely win any preselection contest among local members, ­although Mr Harding had the backing of the Australian Workers Union-dominated Right faction. “It is all being held off until Kate makes up her mind; she has just had her second baby and no one really expected it to be a tight battle in Ashgrove,’’ the source said.

“The polls might say it is tight but that was the case before the last election and she was easily beaten.’’

Successive polls show the Newman government is on track to lose its huge majority in parliament — with last month’s Newspoll showing its lead over Labor is down to 52-48 per cent on a two-party-preferred basis.

And if the 10 per cent swing was uniform — which is unlikely — the Premier would be among the first-term MPs looking for a new job.

The polls have clearly worried Mr Newman, who has spreading the love lately in the electorate.

The local rugby club got spruced-up change rooms, schools have been showered with new funding and Saturday shoppers are coming face-to-face with the Premier as if an election was being held any day.

LNP state president Bruce McIver yesterday announced that Mr Newman would contest Ashgrove.

“The Premier has the full support of the LNP in guiding his government through the tough but necessary reforms to repair the mess left by Labor,” Mr ­McIver said.