Alarm bells ringing for Palaszczuk government
If Peter Dutton was the happiest, and most relieved person in the room at his election party on Saturday, Deb Frecklington wasn’t far behind.
The State Opposition Leader would have needed to suck a bag of lemons, to wipe the smile from her face.
She’d just watched, and rejoiced, not just in the Morrison Government being returned, but celebrated all Queensland MPs being returned, and winning two Labor seats.
Peter Dutton with state opposition leader Deb Frecklington, looking quite pleased with the election result. 9news
And tellingly, in regional marginal seats, that the Shorten Opposition expected to win, Labor was belted.
They won nothing, and the sitting conservatives are back with safer margins.
That’s what sent alarm bells ringing for the Palaszczuk Labor State Government.
It means, astonishingly, Labor holds no Federal seat north of the Hornibrook Highway.
Nothing.
And it puts the pressure on their state MPs at next year’s poll.
The crucial issue was the multi-billion dollar Adani coal mine, in Central Queensland.
The LNP’s support for the project, and its thousands of direct and indirect jobs, was crucial.
And so was Labor’s flip-flopping.
It’s message was confused and conflicted, muddied by its support for jobs, and the environment.
Voters put jobs first.
And they were incensed by the Bob Brown-led caravan, that swept, unwanted, into regional towns, demanding the coal mine be stopped.
Queenslanders did not like being told what to do by Bob Brown and his Stop Adani convoy. AAP
They saw that as outsiders telling them what they could, and could not have. That the environment was more important than their jobs and livelihoods.
The former Greens leader won’t be on Bill Shorten’s Christmas card list.
And, with the mine delayed by the Queensland Government, by what’s perceived as a constant shifting of the goal posts with demands to satisfy additional environmental and water management plans, pressure is mounting from traditional Labor supporters, and from within, to act.
Many are pointing the finger at Treasurer, and deputy Premier Jackie Trad who’s under enormous pressure from the Greens in her inner Brisbane seat.
She just held on last election, and faces the Greens' wrath if Adani goes ahead.
Senior former state Labor ministers have come and delivered the Premier and her Government massive backhanders, demanding she show leadership and make some tough decisions.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk (right) and Queensland Deputy Premier Jackie Trad are seen visiting the Greek Paniyiri Festival in Brisbane. AAP
They insist she has to stick to core Labor values and put the workers and jobs first.
There’s still just short of 18 months before the state election.
But Annastacia Palaszczuk won’t want to let the bleeding go on for too long.
The warning’s been delivered.
Share a tip-off, video or photo with us
