Candidates acknowledge Gladstone was a ‘tough battle’

Returning officer Mark Larney said there are still 2000 postal votes to be counted for Gladstone.

LNP supporters with candidate Ron Harding and Federal Member for Flynn Ken O'Dowd gathered to watch the election results at Mr Harding's Hanson Road business CQ Tools.

CANDIDATES in the seat of Gladstone knew they had a huge challenge to overturn Labor incumbent Glenn Butcher’s margin of 25.3 per-cent.

That didn’t deter the LNP from nominating local businessman Ron Harding, One Nation putting forward Kevin Jorgensen, perennial independent Murray Peterson throwing his hat in the ring again and The Greens from nominating Emma Eastaughffe.

So safe was the seat of Gladstone, Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk made a quick three hour visit during the campaign, announcing it would be her only ‘brief’ appearance in the port city. Both LNP leader Deb Frecklington and One Nation’s Pauline Hanson did not set foot in the Gladstone electorate (a cardboard cutout of Ms Hanson did clock up considerable mileage on the hustings).

LNP candidate for Gladstone Ron Harding was joined by Federal Member for Flynn Ken O'Dowd and supporters to watch the result in the Queensland Election 2020.

Mr Harding acknowledged it was always going to be a challenge to win the seat of Gladstone.

“It was always going to be a tough campaign but I am proud to have been the LNP candidate,” he said.

“It was good to see the LNP get more votes than at the 2017 election.

“Congratulations Glenn on your victory.”

One Nation candidate Kevin Jorgensen

The day after the election, Mr Jorgensen was out all over the electorate collecting his signs.

He said it was always going to be a challenge to win Gladstone.

“I am disappointed by the result but it was always going to be a tough one to win,” he said.

“Congratulations to Glenn.”

Independent candidate for Gladstone Murray Peterson at the 2020 state election ballot draw. Picture: Rodney Stevens

Independent candidate Murray Peterson said he saw first hand at the booths that people were very influenced by ‘brands’ and not what each candidate could offer.

“Obviously people follow the brands and they trust the brands without analysing the brands,” he said.

“One of the approaches I was using is I was presenting logical, rational information, but people are not making decisions on logical, rational information.

“It appeared to me from handing out stuff and talking to people that people were making emotional decisions.

“So we’ve got a generation of society that has gone from logical, rational, to emotional decisions.

“It doesn’t seem to matter that what people are being given doesn’t suit them

“Very few people take the time to say I’d like things changed and I need a representative that represents me.”

Emma Eastaughffe is the Greens candidate for Gladstone in the 2020 Queensland State Election.

The Greens Emma Eastaughffe was not seen in the electorate during the election campaign by any other candidate.

Electoral Commission of Queensland Gladstone electorate returning officer Mark Larney said they had received about 2000 postal votes, which would be counted after polling day.

Gladstone results:

Enrolled voters: 33,589

Votes counted: 27,032 (80.48 per-cent)

Labor – Glenn Butcher – 17,106 (65.25 per-cent)

LNP – Ron Harding – 4021 (15.34 per-cent)

One Nation – Kevin Jorgensen – 3213 (12.26 per-cent)

Independent – Murray Peterson – 1006 (3.84 per-cent)

The Greens – Emma Eastaughffe – 870 (3.32 per-cent)

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