Queensland election: Tim Nicholls lathes it on thick in south

The battle for the Gold Coast has begun, with the LNP desperate to defend its blue swath of seats.

Employee Dave Beattie, right, watches as Tim Nicholls gets to work on a lathe at ESP Fencing and Security yesterday. Picture: AAP

The battle for the Gold Coast has begun, with the Liberal National Party desperate to defend its blue swath of seats as Labor tries to mitigate expected losses in the regions with an expansion into the northern end of the glitter strip.

While most attention is on the battleground in regional Queensland, there are a few skirmishes in Brisbane and southeast Queensland that could decide who forms government after November 25.

Whereas the regional tussles will be fought between the major parties and One Nation, these battles are more traditional LNP versus ALP contests.

Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls spent day three of the campaign concentrating on the marginal seats in the state’s ­second-largest city.

The first stop of the morning was to a fabrication business in Mount Ommaney in Brisbane’s southwest, where Mr Nicholls continued to spruik the party’s economic blueprint and fended off questions about debt reduction.

LNP MP Tarnya Smith holds the seat, now notionally Labor following the boundary redistribution, with a margin of 1 per cent.

Mr Nicholls then headed down the M1 to defend a cluster of traditionally safe LNP seats being targeted by Labor and try to win over voters in newly created electorates.

He attended a small-business meet and greet at the Nerang RSL in the seat of Gaven, which is held by the LNP’s Sid Cramp with a margin of 2.8 per cent.

 

One Nation state leader Steve Dickson earlier in the day revealed the party would not run a candidate in Gaven because Mr Cramp was an excellent candidate.

“That is entirely a matter for One Nation and who knows how they make their decisions,” Mr Nicholls said.

“I can certainly say Sid has been working tirelessly in the electorate for the last almost three years.

“We remain focused on delivering a better Queensland for the people of Gaven and all of the people on the Gold Coast.”

Mr Cramp’s main competition will be Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon.

Albert MP Mark Boothman, whose northwestern seat has been renamed Theodore, leads with a margin of 5.3 per cent but faces a challenge from Labor candidate and actress Luz Stanton and One Nation’s Darrel Lane.

Mr Boothman said key local issues were congestion, especially on the packed M1, and crime.

He accused the Palaszczuk government of neglecting the Gold Coast because of its strong LNP base.

The new seat of Bonney has a fresh political face in the LNP’s Sam O’Connor, who leads on a notional margin of 2.2 per cent, making his would-be seat the most likely on the Gold Coast to go Labor’s way.

Mr O’Connor said it was a boost to have the party leader in town so early in the campaign.

“We will have him whenever he wants to come,” he said.

“To the LNP, the Gold Coast is vital. It’s our heartland.

“This is a city that’s built on our values and it is obviously very important to the party.”