Greens’ inner-city victory to affect Annastacia Palaszczuk’s political strategies

A tectonic shift to the left within Queensland’s political plates will have far-reaching consequences for Annastacia Palaszczuk, writes Hayden Johnson.

Fortress Queensland has fallen – almost by stealth – and it will have far-reaching consequences for Annastacia Palaszczuk.

The last bastion of Coalition support just three years ago, Queensland has failed to deliver a second miracle victory to Scott Morrison.

It hasn’t delivered for Labor’s Anthony Albanese either.

The inner-city victory for the Greens will affect the political strategies of Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Opposition Leader David Crisafulli – who until the 2024 election will walk a perilous political tightrope across this uniquely decentralised state.

Labor and the Liberal National Party face an increasingly difficult challenge appealing to the socially-progressive capital city voters without alienating those in the regions.

Promoting action on climate change in Chapel Hill while rebuilding baseload coal fired power in Callide will become a political art for both state leaders.

The Albanese victory will also blunt one of Ms Palaszczuk’s key attack lines; that the Coalition isn’t giving Queensland its fair share.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

From infrastructure to the pandemic, the Palaszczuk Government has repeatedly diverted from its own failures by blaming the federal government.

Along with other states the Palaszczuk Government has attacked the Coalition for failing to provide a 50-50 partnership in health funding – an agreement they argue is vital to ease pressure on the state’s hospital system.

While Mr Albanese hasn’t agreed to the more generous funding partnership, Palaszczuk Government ministers say at least he’s willing to negotiate.

Ms Palaszczuk will enjoy an indirect honeymoon period after the Albanese victory, but it will be short-lived.

Soon a federal government of the same stripe as the state will make it more difficult for the Premier to shift blame on the Commonwealth.

For this reason Mr Crisafulli shouldn’t be entirely disappointed with Mr Morrison’s loss.

The surge in inner-city support for the Greens continues the trend identified at the 2020 state election.

It erodes the heartlands of both Labor and the LNP.

It will concern Education Minister Grace Grace and former Opposition Leader Tim Nicholls whose respective electorates of McConnell and Clayfield – at the heart of the green march – will almost certainly be at risk in 2024.

While the two major parties battled on national issues across the state the Greens embarked on a quiet hand-to-hand, street-to-street combat through Brisbane’s inner suburbs.

Once considered a conservative backwater, Queensland is now at the forefront of a huge swing to the left with a ribbon of up to three Greens MPs likely to represent Brisbane.

This is a tectonic shift within Queensland’s political plates.

Originally published as Greens’ inner-city victory to affect Annastacia Palaszczuk’s political strategies