NICHOLAS McDONALD
In the final week of the election campaign, Queensland’s political landscape has become a crucial battleground.
On Sunday, Bob Brown warned Labor voters to vote one for Greens in the Senate lest their vote go to Bob Katter’s Australia Party under their recent preference deal.
“Labor voters in Queensland have got to know that, if they want a progressive Senate, they’ve got to vote one Greens in the Senate,” he said.
“But you must vote one for the Greens in the Senate, or we’re likely to see Bob Katter getting that last seat.”
To add to the theatrics of the final week Clive Palmer has promised to put forward a vote that would separate North Queensland as its own State.
This is not an uncommon election promise for North Queensland however Mr Palmer has told voters that unlike the KAP his party has made this a key policy should he take power.
“Bob Katter hasn’t put that into policy and he hasn’t announced it, we’ve announced it,” he said.
“We’re standing in 150 seats in the House of Representatives and Bob’s not, so we’ve got more chance of implementing it.”
The latest Newspoll results suggest Labor is facing a substantial loss however both major parties have maintained the opinion that the race is closer than the numbers suggest.
With the return of Peter Beattie, the possible secession by North Queensland and the twerking antics of Clive Palmer, there is plenty of kick left in the fight.