Tweed MP in fight to survive
TWEED MP Geoff Provest is in for the fight of his political life, with a new poll revealing the National Party figure is in danger of losing his seat at March’s state election.
The 60-year-old’s support has collapsed according to the poll of 665 residents across his electorate of Tweed last month.
Conducted by polling firm uComms on September 13, it found Mr Provest had a first-party preference vote of 39.2 per cent, down from the election-winning 47.1 per cent he achieved at the 2015 election.
Labor challenger Craig Elliot polled even lower on a primary vote of just 32.8 per cent, but preferences from the Greens, 12.9 per cent of first preferences, could see the seat return to ALP hands for the first time since 2007.
It is this result that has Greens Northern Rivers campaign co-ordintor Sue Higginson warning to two major parties if they ignore climate change, koalas, concerns around water extraction and public services they will lose.
“The move that the National Party have taken on environment in the past 12 months a little bit disingenuous, it is more pork barrelling than proper policy,” she said.
“(And) the Labor Party say they want action on climate change but when you look through their policies they don’t want real action.
“What our supporters are saying is that they want real action on climate change now and they are sick of the lip service.”
Mr Provest said Greens would decide who won the Tweed election.
“Our local environmental record is strong with a $900,000 to buy land for a koala sanctuary in Pottsville and a $270,000 commitment for a koala holding facility which will be used for rehabilitating injured koalas,” he said.
“But politics is in a pretty volatile space at the moment which what is happening at a federal level.
“I just don’t think there is a safe seat anywhere at the moment.”
Mr Elliot said he was not focused on polls.
“The only poll that matters is the one on election next March,” he said.
“I am out here listening to locals every day.”
The poll, obtained by the Gold Coast Bulletin, was commissioned by a third party not connected with either candidate.