Labor wages $130k war to take Peter Dutton’s marginal Qld seat

Labor has launched an expensive ground campaign in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s marginal Queensland seat after new polling they say shows he is fighting for his political survival.

Leader of the Australian Liberal party Peter Dutton. Picture: Thomas Lisson

Labor has launched an expensive ground campaign they weren’t expecting in Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s marginal Queensland seat after new polling they say shows he is fighting for his political survival.

But the Coalition has refuted any suggestion Mr Dutton is on the cusp of losing his seat saying their own commissioned polling from Freshwater Research has him at 57 per cent ahead of Ali France’s 43 per cent.

It’s understood Labor’s polling tells a different story, with Ms France and Mr Dutton both on 50 per cent.

Meanwhile uComms polling commissioned by Climate 200-backed independent candidate Ellie Smith’s campaign, obtained by this publication, shows Ms France at 51.7 per cent to Mr Dutton’s 48.3 per cent.

Mr Dutton’s margin stands at 1.7 per cent, after being whittled down at the 2019 election from 4.6 per cent.

It is also the first time he has headed to an election as Opposition Leader, which complicates his ability to be present in the seat to curtail a swing against him.

And the entry of Climate 200-backed Ms Smith serves as a disrupting factor this election, with expectations she will peel votes off both major parties with the added unknown of where her preferences will flow.

Ali France is fighting to take the seat of Dickson for the ALP. Picture: John Gass

It’s understood Mr Dutton’s campaign recently spent about $40,000 on new attack flyers and billboards targeting Ms Smith, in a sign the Opposition Leader was facing a battle in his electorate on two fronts.

Australian Labor Party national secretary Paul Erickson, in a plea to Labor supporters on Wednesday morning, revealed new campaign research in Dickson had revealed the race was “closer than we originally thought”.

With the race expected to go down to the wire, Mr Erickson issued a call out supporter to pump cash into the campaign after he greenlit $130,000 extra to the Dickson campaign.

“From our research, we know that thousands of Dickson voters are now on the fence,” Mr Erickson stated in the email.

“We know our message is working. It’s already shifting votes But we need enough resources to spread it widely,” he said.

The government’s heaviest hitters, including Foreign Minister Penny Wong and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher, have also been dispatched into the outer-urban seat north of Brisbane to bolster the campaign of Labor’s Ali France.

It’s understood Senator Wong will be campaigning alongside Ms France in the seat on Friday.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, campaigning in Queensland on Thursday, has also made a point of highlighting the small margin in Dickson, declaring on Thursday “we are taking it seriously”.

“If she (Ms France) gets the same swing that she got in 2022, Ali France will be sworn in as the member of Dickson,” he said.

Mr Dutton has previously said that he doesn’t take the seat of Dickson for granted.

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Originally published as Labor wages $130k war to take Peter Dutton’s marginal Qld seat