Queensland general election campaign, 2006

Candidates

Pre-Electoral issues

As Queensland is currently suffering a major drought, water management issues have become a major concern. The Coalition has contended that the Beattie government's water management strategies are inadequate. The government has in turn criticised the Coalition for its policies on water. Proposals to alleviate the water burden, such as the construction of a "mega-dam" at Traveston and the introduction of recycled water into the water supply of Toowoomba, have led to debate and in some cases embarrassment for the government.

From mid-2005, after the revelation of the Jayant Patel scandal, the issue of health has become a focus of controversy, damaging to the Beattie government. After several inquiries and industrial disputes, a restructure of Queensland Health took place, and the state government is currently lobbying the federal government for more doctor training places in universities for Queensland.

Other issues of importance to the electorate include environmental management and land clearing, asbestos in state schools, the provision of transportation and infrastructure to rural and regional areas, and the management of South East Queensland's population growth.

Campaign

The campaign started unusually with Premier Peter Beattie denying a general election was about to be called, while residents in some Gold Coast electorates received direct mail from the ALP stating that the election had been called for September.

At a press conference on 16 August, Liberal leader Bruce Flegg stated that in the event that the Coalition won government, and the Liberal Party won more seats than the Nationals, Lawrence Springborg would still become Premier [http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200608/1716257.htm?elections/qld/2006/] . Other Liberal Party MP's such as Michael Caltabiano disagreed, as this ran contrary to the coalition agreement signed between the two parties, which stated that whichever party won the most seats would form government. The ALP used this to attack Coalition stability in media and advertising.

Flegg was subsequently asked to leave a shopping centre in the Redcliffe suburb of Kippa-Ring for failing to obtain permission to do a campaign walkthrough. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200608/1718749.htm?elections/qld/2006/] . Flegg later denied that he had in fact been evicted.

On 22 August, Flegg took part in a media conference with Julie Bishop, federal Liberal Party Minister for Education, where he endorsed a Federal Government plan for the mandatory teaching of Australian history in schools. Responding to questions from journalists, he failed to identify the date of arrival of the Second Fleet (1790), or the person after whom Brisbane was named (noted astronomer and Governor of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane) [http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s1720297.htm] .

Two sad twists of fate impacted the 26-day campaign - on 30 August, opposition leader Lawrence Springborg took temporary leave from the campaign after the sudden death of his father-in-law, and National Party deputy leader Jeff Seeney and Liberal leader Bruce Flegg continued the campaign in his absence. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200608/s1728477.htm] The death of TV personality Steve Irwin ("The Crocodile Hunter") on 4 September in an accident off Port Douglas, Queensland, took the media's focus away from the election in its final week. [http://www.pollbludger.com/384]

Current Treasurer Anna Bligh has stated the coalition's major election promises of wiping out stamp duty within five years, increasing the first home buyers grant by $3,000 and introducing a 10% per litre subsidy on ethanol-blended petrol will cost $2.4 billion dollars and has blown the budget. Lawrence Springborg says all his election promises are costed and affordable, with costings to be released two days before the election. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/items/200609/1732105.htm?elections/qld/2006/] So far these costings have not been released.

On Friday September 8, the day before the election, Premier Beattie and Opposition Leader Springborg participated in a "great debate" [http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s1736449.htm] at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, moderated by ABC journalist Chris O'Brien.

Although Newspoll and other published polls showed Labor well ahead on predicted two-party-preferred vote, Labor strategists feared that people would vote for the Coalition in a protest vote, expecting Beattie not to lose. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/indepth/featureitems/s1727667.htm] They adopted a strategy of denying Labor was in fact ahead. [http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200609/s1735104.htm?elections/qld/2006/] The Roy Morgan poll suggested the Liberal vote had fallen, while the Greens had risen to 8%. [http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2006/4082/]

References

* [http://www.abc.net.au/elections/qld/2006/guide/summary.htm Election analysis] by Antony Green of the ABC