Labor shift focus to Coast after Longman triumph
THE northern Gold Coast electorate of Forde will be the ‘No.1 battleground’ in the region at the next federal election.
That’s the message from Southport-based Senator Murray Watt who said Labor was bouyed after the strong showing at the ‘Super Saturday’ byelections which saw the Opposition unexpectedly retain the seat of Longman.
With the by-elections now past, Senator Watt said Labor’s focus would now turn to Forde, which is one of the Turnbull Government’s most marginal seats, currently on a 0.6 per cent margin.
“This will be the No.1 battleground during the election on the Gold Coast,” he said.
“Longman and Forde are quite similar and Labor is hopeful we will see a swing there as we did in Longman.”
Incumbent LNP MP Bert Van Manen is recontesting the seat as is Labor’s Des Hardman, who unsuccessfully contested it in 2016. Mr Van Manen said Forde had always been marginal but that the government “had a good story to tell”.
“It has always been marginal so this is business as usual for me,” he said.