Our most important poll in generations
THE state poll is really about your future employment. Or if you are retired, jobs being around for your kids and grandkids. An important choice must be made.
Read the how-to-vote cards of the major parties. Labor have an image of a smiling Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk with a red sign showing “road to recovery”.
On the other side of the sheet and with a black background is a shot of pensive LNP leader Deb Frecklington with former LNP premier Campbell Newman her shadow.
Labor’s messaging is “Queensland can’t afford a Detour Deb” because as Newman’s assistant minister she was responsible for the sacking of 14,000 Queenslanders.
The LNP’s how-to-vote cards have the blue team on the Coast, how to number your preferences and the headline “Fully costed plan to get Queensland working again”.
Their negative signage showcases Jackie Trad, questions the Government on integrity and calls Labor out for being “soft on crime”.
The reality is that for many people, around the backyard barbie at the weekend, their focus was on watching Bathurst, the AFL and NRL finals and wondering about State of Origin next month.
Their only connection with politics will be grabbing these pamphlets, glimpsing the booth signage, and getting this voting finished quickly.
One third of the electorate will have voted before election day on October 31, yet the Greens and Clive Palmer’s UAP have not had candidates, volunteers or even how-tovote cards at many Coast prepolling booths.
In an election that is probably the most important in generations because of the focus on needing political leadership on jobs, do you really want to vote for a minor party or an independent candidate who cannot manage a booth? Is it the right time for a protest vote?
Greens Coast candidates say they will hold the balance of power in the new parliament.
Independent voices are important but do we want a minority government in which whoever is premier must negotiate with minor parties, delaying important reforms during coronavirus?
Preferences will determine whether Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon holds Gaven, LNP’s Sam O’Connor gets re-elected in Bonney and the LNP’s Laura Gerber remains in Currumbin.
Given we are a tourist city, given we are in COVID, voters need to make a clear choice about the major parties and weighing up what they can really deliver on jobs.
ALP campaigners say they are “the underdog”. However, they are buoyed by one result.
A recent YouGov poll showed 57 per cent of those surveyed were satisfied with how the Premier handled the economy. Ms Frecklington, when rated on her performance as Opposition leader, recorded 29 per cent.
The latest Conus-CBC Staff Selection jobs series report shows there were 11,704 job seekers on the Coast back in mid-2016. The number rose to 12,334 in January this year.
Currently there are 48,543 on JobKeeper.
Some candidates will tell you this poll is a referendum on the border closures. Some strategists say individual elections are being held in each electorate.
They say the north of the state is far different for Labor than its polling suggests in the south-east corner and gives the LNP hope.
The truth is the poll results will be difficult to predict but the choices here must be about jobs. Queensland has the worst unemployment rate of the states.
After Christmas-New Year we will know if we voted for a government that is working for us to stay in the workforce.