Election looms but parties’ war chests are empty
CHEAP SEATS
THE major political parties are struggling to attract serious financial support in Townsville as they scramble to bolster their war chests ahead of the looming state election.
Electoral Commission Queensland data shows just three donations of more than $ 1000 have been made to Labor since January 1 from the Townsville region, totalling $ 4000.
The ECQ tracks only where donors are from and pools donations for each party.
The LNP has fared better but has only attracted eight donations of more than $ 1000 from Townsville, totalling $ 50,825.
Townsville has donated $ 101,175 across all parties, with the LNP declaring $ 67,825 and Labor receiving $ 13,000. One Nation Burdekin candidate Sam Cox has so far declared $ 16,350 in donations.
A Labor spokesman would not comment on how the campaign fund compared to 2015 but said the partyarty had made Townsville a “priority”.
THE major political parties are struggling to attract serious financial support in Townsville as they scramble to bolster their warchests ahead of the looming state election.
Electoral Commission Queensland data shows only three donations of more than $ 1000 have been made to Labor since January 1 from the Townsville region, totalling $ 4000.
The ECQ tracks only where donors are from and pools donations for each party.
The LNP has fared better but has only attracted eight donations of more than $ 1000 from Townsville, totalling $ 50,825.
Townsville has donated $ 101,175 across all parties, with the LNP declaring $ 67,825 and Labor receiving $ 13,000.
One Nation Burdekin candidate Sam Cox has so far declared $ 16,350 in donations.
A Labor spokesman would not comment on how the campaign fund compared financially to the 2015 campaign but said the party had made Townsville a “priority”.
The LNP has received $ 4000 from the Burdekin region since January 1, with Labor being gifted $ 2000.
It comes a week after the Bulletin revealed the LNP had mailed letters to party members in the Burdekin asking for donations towards a $ 170,000 fighting fund for Dale Last.
An LNP spokesman said Labor was funded with millions of dollars from unions.
“Unlike the Labor Party, the LNP is provided financial support by individuals, families and small businesses,” he said.
“Many donations to the LNP are below the disclosable threshold limit of $ 1000.
“Election campaigns are expensive to run and the LNP will continue to raise funds for the coming state election.”
Mr Cox argued there was a big gap between the $ 170,000 target and the $ 4000 declared.
“I think both parties understand not just by polling that they are in trouble,” he said.
“People don’t know who to back. It ( ECQ) indicates that they’re ( LNP, Labor) not getting the big hitters.”
Mr Cox said the hesitation by large donors could be because people were still deciding who they should back.
“The loyal supporters, where have they gone?” he said. “People won’t really donate until the gun goes off.
“I think it is a sign of people wondering whether it’s worth spending that money for the result they want.
“Maybe it’s an indication that people don’t know who they’re supporting.”
PERHAPS it’s early days and the flood of donations to the major political parties will be forthcoming once the starter’s pistol is fired and the opponents more clearly state their claim for election.
Perhaps the regular party supporters are watching their pennies like the rest of us as household and commercial overheads such as power spiral ever further out of control.
Or perhaps the major donation drought revealed by the Bulletin today is reflective more of the global trend away from major political parties as frustrated electors look for something new.
We have seen it with Brexit, we have seen it with Trump and we have also seen it locally with the rise of Pauline Hanson’s One Nation at the last federal election.
Once considered fringe players, agitators on the sidelines of real politics, One Nation – and many others – are emerging as credible political forces and a voice for disgruntled voters.
This is no more evident than in regional Australia, where Senator Hanson’s brand has enjoyed a considerable rise in the polling ranks, to the point where most expect the party to grab a good few seats in the next Queensland Parliament.
Coupled with the Katter’s Australian Party contingent, which has made life difficult for the major parties and has advocated strongly for the concerns of regional Queenslanders, this can only be good news for the North.
Should the major parties fail to win enough seats to form government in their own right, the few regional seats that fall to minor parties will be all important.
North Queensland and other parts of regional Queensland will have a hand on the wheel of the next Parliament and may finally get some action on the matters of importance across our region.
Finally we might see real action on Townsville’s never- ending crime wave, more tangible action on the city’s water security crisis and some positive moves to bring the cost of electricity down.
Whatever happens, the days of lazy politicians ignoring the regions are over.