Rivals’ villains keep party faithful satisfied

It was the mention of politicians from the other side of politics that got the party faithful most worked up during their campaign launches in Brisbane on Sunday.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk arrives at the Labor launch in Beenleigh. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Dan Peled

It was the mention of politicians from the other side of politics that got the party faithful most worked up at the campaign launches of both major political parties in Brisbane on Sunday.

Former Labor deputy premier Jackie Trad was nowhere in sight at an industrial site hosting the ALP’s launch, but she did get a mention at the Liberal National Party’s launch at a classy inner-city hotel, which got the party faithful hissing.

Likewise at the ALP launch, where a video of former LNP premier Campbell Newman urging the Labor government to “stop being cowards and open the borders” brought on boos. Both are the political villains that have been front and centre of the campaigns against their own parties.

COVID-19 meant both parties had to adapt to smaller venues, ­although the ALP made the radical move not to have its launch in a convention centre or hotel but rather at a plumber-training centre at Beenleigh, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

It wasn’t the only difference ­between the two launches: the LNP made no mention of the pandemic, while Labor centred its message on how the government had responded to the crisis.

Deb Frecklington walks into the Emporium Hotel at South Bank. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

The LNP had no national ­anthem and no welcome to country, but the ALP had not only a welcome to country by local ­luminary Uncle Ted, but also a ­national anthem performed on the didgeridoo and sung originally in an Indigenous dialect before being sung again in English.

The LNP launch had three speakers: the candidate for Mansfield, Janet Wishart, deputy leader Tim Mander, and leader Deb Frecklington.

The ALP launch went past ­politicians, with a small businessman, an apprentice, a nursing home resident and a nurse all testifying to the worth of “Annastacia Palaszczuk and the ALP”.

Palaszczuk entered to the standard standing ovation before the party faithful resumed their seats, but were back on their feet several times throughout.

The Premier departed to the sounds of I Won’t Back Down by Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, after earlier speakers had described the nastiness of Clive Palmer and his ilk demanding that borders be opened.

Back at the South Bank ­Emporium Hotel, the LNP featured more elder statesmen: federal minister Peter Dutton (who also appeared in the video at the ALP launch); Brisbane lord mayor Adrian Schrinner; former premier Rob Borbidge; and two knights, Leo Hielscher and Frank Moore, who helped put together the drought-busting project the New Bradfield Scheme.

It was infrastructure that lifted their spirits and their bodies — standing ovations were there for the scheme, the rebuilding of the Bruce Highway, and the resources industry.