SCOMO FAST FORDE

PM ‘COMFORTABLE’ IN VITAL SEAT

THE Coalition must be confident of holding the Gold Coast’s only marginal seat by ruling out additional funding to extend the light rail, political experts say.

Griffith University political commentator Professor Stephen Stockwell said Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s refusal to spend more than $112 million extending the trams to Burleigh was a sign he was comfortable that Forde in the city’s north would be held.

Prof Stockwell comments came after the ALP was accused of “missing a free kick” to win the vital seat when it refused to talk about the funding.

Forde sits on a knife-edge with a margin of just 0.9 per cent and is considered a vital seat in next month’s election.

Political commentator Paul Williams told the Bulletin on Saturday he could not understand why Opposition leader Bill Shorten had not backed an increase in light rail funding.

“I find that curious and questionable,” he said.

“In a marginal seat, it’s not the most sensitive tactic. It’s like a free kick.”

Prof Stockwell said either party’s failure to offer a light rail carrot was not surprising.

“There is a question over how much pork-barrelling works,” he said.

“People are going to make decisions on national issues such as health, education, climate change and tax.”

Despite the low margin in Forde, neither party has offered much in the way of incentives. The seat stretches south to Upper Coomera and up into the Logan City Council area.

“That suggests both sides are happy with the status quo and the battle has moved elsewhere,” Prof Stockwell said.

He said seats in southeast Queensland and Herbert in northern Queensland were the only ones in the state that could swing on election day, making it surprising not more was being done to shore up Forde.

The election campaign has so far been disjointed with the public holidays cutting up the first two weeks.

Prof Stockwell said parties were still feeling their way in the election campaign.

“The next week will give some indication of where their polling numbers are at,” he said.

Prof Stockwell said any funding announcements were more likely to be towards the end of the week.

Residents in Forde have been questioning what either side is offering them.

Ormeau Progress Association president Judy Hendrix said she “hadn’t heard much” from either major party.

“No one has come along to our meetings or given us information about what they are doing,” she said.

ALP candidate for Forde Des Hardman said in a statement: “Labor supports the continued expansion of light rail on the Gold Coast.”

He did not offer any additional funding than the $112 million already promised.

The State Government and Gold Coast City Council have been pushing for an additional $45 million for the extension to Burleigh to match the 17 per cent committment given for Stage 2. Thirty-eight per cent was given for Stage 1.