REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN Wednesday, August 16, 2006

WHAT was expected to be Queensland’s roughest election campaign was off and running, with Premier Peter Beattie shocking nobody by announcing a September 9 poll.

Labor and the Coalition hit the ground running, flying to regional areas of Queensland to push their messages and their leadership teams.

Mr Beattie had to defy Labor history as he fought to win a fourth term in government and was expected to campaign heavily, particularly on the Gold Coast, in what was expected to be his last campaign.

“I expect, on a number of things, we will be given a tough time,” he said.

“This will be the roughest and toughest we’ve had to run.”

Both sides expected a bad time as angry voters vent their spleen over the Beattie Government’s health and water crises and the Opposition’s leadership woes and embarrassing failed merger.

The Gold Coast Bulletin polls and other media predicted Mr Beattie would have a hard time retaining office, but voters were also unhappy with the alternative, Coalition Leader Lawrence Springborg.

This voter dissatisfaction with both leaders forced them to ditch their presidential style campaigns, particularly by the Premier.

Instead, Mr Beattie planned to campaign closely with his deputy, Gold Coast-schooled Anna Bligh, with the term, “the Beattie-Bligh Government” already in wide use.

Ms Bligh featured prominently on the Coast campaign. Labor went on to win the election and retained all its Gold Coast seats.