Ray battles for survival in the Ungerer games
VETERAN LNP MP Ray Stevens and a Labor opponent in his Mermaid Beach seat are exchanging verbal blows in the battle for the Gold Coast’s millionaire’s row electorate.
Dr Carl Ungerer, an international diplomat who advised former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, said the Premier had asked him to run because the seat “was in play”.
Mr Stevens has responded by saying Dr Ungerer is a “corflute candidate” with no links to the area.
Dr Ungerer is buoyed by the response at prepolling and remains confident despite Mr Stevens enjoying a 6.26 per cent margin.
“Ray Stevens’ margin has steadily declined over the 14 years he’s been in parliament. The seat is definitely in play this year,” Dr Ungerer said.
“That’s why the Premier asked me to run. On the campaign trail, the one comment I hear most is that Ray has done nothing for the people of Mermaid Beach, and he is only interested in his Cableway business for the hinterland.”
He acknowledges the Coast has been “traditionally conservative” but residents were “willing to vote for good Labor candidates that are prepared to work hard for the community”.
“We have devoted lots of resources to this campaign, not the least of which are the dozen or so volunteers who have been working full-time to support my campaign. Ray is spending much more money on this campaign because he knows the race is going to be very tight,” Dr Ungerer said.
“There’s a very clear view among the people I have spoken to that Annastacia’s (Palaszczuk) strong leadership has kept Queensland safe, and she has a clear plan for economic recovery.
“We understand that busi
nesses on the Gold Coast have had a tough time of COVID, but they are also acutely aware that if Deb (Frecklington) and the LNP were in government and opened the border early, as they demanded in June, then Queensland could have had a second wave, and we would have shut down like Victoria.
“I speak to lots of restaurant and cafe owners in Mermaid and they are very thankful to the Premier that she kept their doors open.”
Mr Stevens told the Bulletin: “He is a doctor of philosophy. He is playing a political card. He’s very disappointing. He is what they call a corflute candidate. He has just arrived in the electorate, lives near the border and is just making wild political statements to justify his last-minute standing.”
Asked about the trams, Dr Ungerer said: “Most people I speak to say that the light rail is a good thing and it will bring energy and life to the Gold Coast. The number of people already using the light rail to Broadbeach is a sign of how much people like it.”
He is a strong supporter of the Oceanway coastal pathway being completed.