Incumbent adamant ‘I can win it for ScoMo’
THE incumbent MP for Forde – one of the looming Federal election’s crucial seats – has revealed a “gentleman’s agreement” with his main rival.
LNP Member for Forde Bert van Manen, who clung on to his seat by 0.9 per cent four years ago over Des Hardman, said the pair had agreed not to get personal on the campaign trail.
“I think he’s a nice guy,” Mr van Manen said. “Six months ago Des and I were at a function together and made a gentlemen’s agreement that we’re not going to seek to denigrate each other publicly or otherwise. We stick to the policy debates and I think the campaign has been well conducted.”
Mr Hardman confirmed their handshake. “What we said was not to make it personal. That’s the way we did it last time too,” he said.
Mr van Manen said he was quietly confident of holding his seat but expected competition from all sides.
Despite the northern Gold Coast being home to one of the state’s biggest election battlegrounds, the LNP says it has no plans to roll out flashy tactics to woo voters.
Mr van Manen, who has held it for nine years, has been hitting the pavement for a series of community breakfasts and roadside meet and greets as well as clocking up long hours at local pre-polling stations.
The seat was make or break for the party, he said.
“This seat is potentially, like it was last time, the seat that will get us into the government so it’s a very important seat in that regard and my focus is on winning,” he said. “I’m quietly positive I think we can win but I’m not going to take anything for granted.”
Despite the confidence, Mr van Manen predicted another tight race and believed it may take several days to get an official result.
The two major parties have plenty of competition in Forde, with a total of six, including Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, contesting the seat.
The minority parties are expected to make an impact on voting day.
“We’ve always had minor parties contest this seat and they can pick up three to four per cent of the vote,” Mr van Manen said.
“Both major parties are probably a bit looked down on by the electorate at the moment so the minor parties may pick up some more votes than they ordinarily do, so the question then becomes how do people allocate their preferences – we’ll have to see.”
The electorate’s booming population has been a “challenge” for the incumbent MP over the years.
“You’ve got to build relationships with those new people and have them get to know who you are and what you’re doing,” he said.
“There’s a significant proportion of the population that has very little interest, if any, in politics.
“It’s my responsibility to do my coffee mornings and those other things to try to build that relationship.’’
Mr van Manen said LNP wins with infrastructure funding included M1 upgrades at Logan, the upgrade of Exit 54, funding for future upgrades at Exits 49 and 41, and $15 million for the Coomera train station. A BULLETIN street poll of 50 voters in Forde has exposed an inconvenient truth for parties and candidates.
Only seven knew the incumbent is LNP’s Bert van Manen, who has held the seat since 2010.
It was bleaker for Labor’s Des Hardman, who went within a whisker of grabbing the seat in 2016, which ALP must win if it is to govern. Only one person could name him.
National leaders fared better with 38 of 50 able to name the Prime Minister. Thirty knew the name of the Opposition Leader and man who wants to be the next PM, Bill Shorten, but one said it was Malcolm Turnbull.
One voter said they had forgotten an election was on due to “lack” of campaigning: “I haven’t had any ad material in my letterbox, I don’t know who the local member is.”
BULLETIN VIEW, P66