Qld election 2024: Toowoomba residents slam Steven Miles, David Crisafulli over no-shows during campaign

Residents have slammed the major parties’ leaders after it was revealed they were unlikely to campaign here, with many saying Toowoomba’s status as a safe conservative city was hurting it politically.

Toowoomba residents have slammed Queensland’s major party leaders after it was revealed the Garden City was unlikely to see either of them during October’s state election campaign.

Both Labor and the LNP have yet to reveal if Steven Miles or David Crisafulli would be in town at any point during the campaign, a major sign Toowoomba North and South were off the radar for both parties.

Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts, whose seat is the most marginal but is considered fairly safe, couldn’t confirm his leader would join him in the region over the next four weeks.

“From our point of view, we’re not disclosing what the leader of the opposition’s diary is doing, but I know we have the great support of Toowoomba and the Darling Downs in our region,” he said on Wednesday.

It comes as early polling from The Chronicle’s reader survey (which you can still fill out below) shows residents believe Toowoomba misses out due to its seats being safe for the LNP.

More than 92 per cent of respondents in the non-scientific poll say they believe safe seats get less attention, services and interest from political parties.

Here is what residents had to say on the expected no-shows:

Safe seats get nothing

Colin

The seat is too safe for the LNP to care and too far out of reach for the ALP.

Lorelle N Bryan Williams

They aren’t interested because it’s not a marginal seat.

Clayton Rogers

ALP have admitted defeat in Toowoomba and won’t tour here.

Stephen

No votes for Labor in Toowoomba. But rather arrogant for opposition leader to ignore his conservative base.

Consider minor parties

Rai Akers

There are no bonus for loyalty. If folks want to change think about voting for anyone other than the one warming the seat in a cushy electorate of sheep.

David

I’m putting the Greens first because we need to do much more to protect the environment and our biodiversity from greedy developers.

But I will put the LNP second, because we’re not doing enough to tackle our crime wave. Often the criminals have more rights than the victims. Many Greens voters have come from the LNP.