We could have done more for the Coast
THE Gold Coast’s John-Paul Langbroek is one of the Parliament’s longest serving MPs. He admits the LNP in government could have done more for the city, but says voters should not be taken in by Labor’s ‘scare campaign’.
HOW MANY SEATS WILL THE LNP WIN
Bulletin: It’s the final week of polling, you’ve been around the State, you’d know your own party’s polling?
JPL: Well actually I They just don’t tell MPs.
B: You really don’t know how you are going in those 93 seats?
JPL: No, I do not. In fact I reckon because of the return of compulsory preferential voting and this issue of a third party (One Nation) rearing its head that we do have 93 separate by-elections happening next Saturday. don’t.
GOLD COAST HOT SEATS
B: Polling in the new seat of Bonney showed it was 50-50 between the major parties. Is the LNP doing private polling? If not, has there been any prepoll feedback?
JPL: I was at pre-polling on Saturday at Spotlight at Ashmore. (LNP candidate) Sam O’Connor and his family were there, and there was an independent there at the same time but not a Labor opponent, and no One Nation. It’s hard to judge ... But I know he’s working hard, he has a very tough challenge.
B: In Gaven, Labor has endorsed Meaghan Scanlon, one of the few speakers at the Labor launch the other day, they clearly want to win that one.
JPL: Labor haven’t won it for a long time. I’m confident that Sid (Cramp) is part of the Gold Coast team. Law and order is a big issue here. He’s (Sid) riding the train with the rest of us on that issue. I think the policies we’ve announced, he should be right with a lot of hard work.
B: The other seat Labor is targeting is Currumbin. Kate Jones accused (sitting LNP MP) Jann Stuckey of doing quite a lot of whining and not a lot of hard work. Is that a fair shot?
JPL: I read that article. I think Gold Coasters hate it when we criticise a person ... I think Jann is the hardest working local member in her own electorate on the Gold Coast – that includes me.
TIM NICHOLLS AND LIFE AFTER CAMPBELL NEWMAN
B: LNP leader Tim Nicholls says “my leadership is different and I lead a team. We will not let you down”. Labor, particularly in Parliament, always try to link him as Treasurer when Campbell Newman was Premier. There is a huge billboard on the M1 as you head north showing them both. How is he different in style to Campbell Newman?
JPL: Well, you only have to look at the commitments that we’ve made to the Gold Coast over the last month, including a second M1, a major infrastructure plan, which was for 1800 jobs. In our term whilst we completed light rail and funded the Commonwealth Games, there is no doubt because of focus on repairing the budget on time that we didn’t do as much for the Gold Coast in our term as we could have ... Having said that, we had a budget we were trying to fix. We made significant repairs there.
B: Labor is running a scare campaign, the union signs outside Coast polling booths point to job cuts under the LNP and “life will be grim under Tim”. Do you that will have traction?
JPL: I think it’s a tried and true formula that Labor try to repeat all the time. I hope it doesn’t resonate with people. We might just as well give up the game if we can just tell people we are very fearful.
THE GAMES BEHIND THE COMMONWEALTH GAMES
B: You’ve been the Opposition Games spokesperson. You’ve had to ask a lot of tough questions in the Parliament. Labor on occasions has branded yourself and others in the LNP as not being on board with the Games or trash talking the Games. Is that true?
JPL: No. Look we know as Gold Coasters that we are all very proud of the Games ... it doesn’t mean you don’t ask the tough questions. When you’ve got subbies including friends of mine – I didn’t know they were part of companies that weren’t being paid at the site for the village – then it’s fair enough to ask those questions.
B: Looking back on the questions, you asked about the traffic and transport plan, and whether GOLDOC will get the necessary sponsorship. What is your main concern?
JPL: The two biggest issues are transport and security for the Games. So I’ve had briefings — I’m thankful for Minister Jones to have those briefings from GOLDOC. But it’s also fair enough to ask when we see people pushed back in the M1 at Exits 41, 49 and 45 right now – they’re parked, and we say where is the traffic plan?
THE FUTURE OF THE SPIT
B: You were among the LNP MPs and candidates absent from a recent Meet the Candidates meeting. Organisers were concerned about preserving The Spit and three-storey height limit through that area. What is your position?
JPL: The position is very clear. I spoke at the Main Beach Association at a luncheon where they had a fund raiser just a couple of months before that. I made it very clear then I don’t support a predetermined decision if you don’t have a master plan for The Spit. I said traffic and height are things that need to be dealt with before you talk about doing anything in that area.
YOUR OWN FUTURE
B: You’ve been an MP since 2004, leader of your party, a Minister, would you be able to handle several more years on the Opposition front benches if the LNP failed to secure government?
JPL: Well of course those are the things you review after every election. Let’s wait and see what happens. I’ve been there 14 years. I will be among the most experienced members of the Parliament because we’ve had such a massive turnover over the last two elections especially. With Lawrence Springborg and Jeff Seeney leaving it only leaves people like Fiona Simpson and Joanne Miller from Bundamba who have been there longer than I have. I still love what I do.