CITY CAN STILL WIN M1 FIGHT
VOTERS should not fool themselves into thinking that amid so much uncertainty with the state election, the Gold Coast will be dudded over the M1 again by Labor.
The Bulletin is optimistic that as the dust settles, the city will be in a better position than last week. Our opportunity lies in the leverage that now exists.
A new star has risen from the Labor ranks, with solicitor Meaghan Scanlon on course to become the youngest woman voted into the Queensland Parliament. In achieving that, she will establish a Labor foothold in a region that has solidly backed the LNP. The irony of her ascension in Gaven though is it comes at the expense of Sid Cramp, an LNP member who was very vocal about having the M1 fixed.
On the other side of the coin, the LNP’s firm grasp on the Gold Coast region has been weakened and while it still holds most seats here, six of them are now marginal – Currumbin, Coomera, Southport, Burleigh, Theodore and, assuming Sam O’Connor wins, the new seat of Bonney.
It might be bad news for the surviving incumbents but the erosion of the LNP vote brings with it enormous opportunity. With such a swathe of seats on a knife edge at the next election, there is good and bad news — the bad being a conga line of politicians will be dancing their way down here.
The good news is the city will receive greater attention and resources from both sides as Labor moves to gain ground and the LNP fights to rebuild.
The LNP and the city must seize the opportunity brought by the election of former Newman government minister David Crisafulli in Broadwater. With his experience, the Gold Coast will look to him to prosecute its case in George Street. As a potential future party leader and a possible future premier, we would expect no less from him. Someone among the LNP has to lead the charge, since several of its MPs have been all but invisible this past term.
LNP leader Tim Nicholls’ alternative motorway, the M2, is off the table for now.
But Commonwealth Games Minister Kate Jones now concedes she agrees with an RACQ view during the election campaign that the M1 fix involves not only upgrades to the existing motorway but, importantly, a second motorway. Ms Jones is the first cabinet member to do so.
She is also urging Ms Scanlon to fight tooth and nail for her electorate. Ms Scanlon must be aware that during the campaign voters in Gaven and across the Gold Coast signalled the M1 as the key issue.
The Palaszczuk Government has to understand that. It has to acknowledge its policy of adding extra lanes at the southern end, while needed, will do nothing to overcome gridlock between here and Brisbane. Commuters will even welcome a toll road.
But for the anger over the M1, Labor might have won Bonney and other tight seats here. As it holds its breath waiting to see if it will get over the line to govern in its own right, Labor must realise it has paid the price of motorway inaction — a failing reinforced in the minds of voters on Friday when an accident blocked northbound lanes at Yatala and again early Saturday when a crash caused a 20km bank-up.
If Labor wants to turn that swag of LNP marginal seats red, it needs to commit to a fair dinkum fix for transport.