Queensland election: Labor candidate blasts Palaszczuk for changing voting system

A Labor candidate believes his party cost him a seat in parliament by changing the voting system.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in Ayr with ALP candidate for Burdekin Mike Brunker.

A Queensland Labor candidate has gone rogue, slamming the party’s introduction of compulsory preferential voting and demanding a recount in the razor-edge cane-growing and coalmining seat of Burdekin.

High-profile former mayor Mike Brunker, who is leading in primary votes but lagging behind sitting LNP MP Dale Last after preferences, has also taken aim at the Electoral Commission of Queensland for being too slow.

Labor has 46 seats, one short of a majority, and needs to win one of Burdekin, Townsville, Mundingburra or Maiwar (all undecided) for Annastacia Palas­zczuk to govern in her own right in the 93-seat parliament.

The LNP is on 38 seats, though Mr Last looked likely to win Burdekin.

Five seats remain undecided. Labor is leading in Townsville and Mundingburra, the Katter’s Australian Party looks set to seize a third seat in Hinchinbrook, and the Greens are preparing to celebrate the party’s first elected Queensland MP in the inner-Brisbane seat of Maiwar.

To round out the parliament, One Nation has one seat and independent Sandy Bolton has taken Noosa from the LNP.

As counting continued yesterday, Labor state secretary Evan Moorhead announced his shock resignation from the job — effective January 22 — after spearheading the ALP’s successful re-election campaign.

He is expected to be replaced by the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union’s Julie-Ann Campbell, a fellow left faction powerbroker.

Mr Moorhead said he wanted to spend more time with his wife and two young sons. Several sources told The Australian it was expected he would take a senior role in Ms Palaszczuk’s office, possibly as deputy chief of staff.

A spokeswoman for Ms Palas­zczuk said Mr Moorhead had not been offered a position.

Mr Moorhead said “no decisions have been made on any ministerial staffing”.

Mr Brunker said Labor’s adoption of compulsory preferential voting had cost him and Labor MP Jim Pearce seats, because both led on primary votes but would be defeated on preferences.

“If it was first past the post like previous elections, you’d have me and Jimmy Pearce sitting in parliament right now,” he said.

An ECQ spokeswoman said no formal recount request had been received from Labor in Burdekin, and a full preferential count was “labour-intensive” and accuracy could not be compromised for speed.

Meanwhile, there are continuing leadership rumblings in the LNP, with current deputy Deb Frecklington, former leader John-Paul Langbroek, and former Newman government ministers Tim Mander and David Crisafulli likely to challenge Tim Nicholls.

The party will not hold a meeting until the count is finalised, meaning the leadership might not be sorted until early next week.

Labor will also wait until the result is declared before Ms Palas­zczuk picks her cabinet.

Treasurer Curtis Pitt is expected to lose his job — despite Ms Palaszczuk guaranteeing his position during the campaign — with Deputy Premier Jackie Trad the frontrunner to replace him.