Queensland election: for the victor, a historic four-year term

The spoils for the victor of the October 31 election are greater than ever: a guaranteed fixed term of four years.

Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath. Picture: Liam Kidston

The spoils for the victor of the October 31 Queensland election are greater than they’ve ever been: a guaranteed fixed term of four years.

And it’s the first time Queensland voters have been spared the agonising, months-long speculation over when the election will be. Voters have traditionally found out only when the premier headed to the governor to dissolve parliament, but this date has been set in stone for years.

In 2016, a vote of Queenslanders backed parliamentary terms increasing from about three years to fixed four-year terms. It was only the third successful referendum in the state’s history. The Labor government and the opposition supported the change. The LNP is seizing on the four-year term as a campaigning tool, telling supporters last month that “there are 1500 days until the Queensland state election in 2024”.

“That’s how long Queenslanders will have to wait to change the government if we’re not successful on October 31,” LNP campaign director Lincoln Folo told prospective donors.

This election is also different due to the latest phase of the Palaszczuk government’s electoral reforms, following earlier changes such as a ban on property developer donations and real-time donation disclosures.

There are new strict spending caps that dictate how much political parties, candidates, independents, and third parties can spend on their campaigns ­between August 1 and election day. Donation caps will come into effect in 2022.

For parties running in all 93 electorates in the single-house parliament, their campaign spend is capped at just under $14m, with limits of how much can be spent in each electorate. This new rule will stop parties pouring all of their resources into particular marginal seats.

More than 30 “third parties” — including 17 unions — have registered with the Electoral Commission of Queensland; each can spend up to $1m at the election statewide. Most of the third parties are expected to campaign to back Labor, with significant exceptions, including the New Hope mining company, the Shooters Union, anti-abortion lobby group Cherish Life Queensland, and Clive Palmer’s private company Mineralogy.

There are also new rules limiting election signage at polling stations, restricting parties to six signs each, and allowing third parties to erect four signs each.

Introducing the reforms into parliament, Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said they were designed to take the big money out of politics. “The actual and perceived integrity of (the electoral) system is significantly enhanced by no single person or entity being able to improperly influence those involved in electoral campaigning for state elections, whether they be political parties, MPs, candidates or others ­engaged in campaigning to influence voting,” she said.

But the LNP has complained the changes disadvantage its side of politics. In a briefing note, LNP leader Deb Frecklington warned business allies that resourcing was a major challenge. “The new changes mean on polling day Labor and the unions could have up to 100 signs on a polling station but the LNP can only have six,” the notes read. “Additionally, Labor and the unions could spend up to $2.3m on a target seat but the LNP could only spend $150,000.”