Political Chronicle 397 Queensland: January-June 1997 The Politics of Confrontation — Queensland Style At the start of the new year the Coalition Government and Labor Opposition in Queensland were determined to repair their political fortunes and return from the political dead. The previous tumultuous twelve months had taken their toll on both sides of politics. The Coalition appeared disorganised, variously incompetent and engaged in a steep learning curve after arriving in office. Labor by contrast were dejected, revengeful and feeling their way with a relatively new and untested front bench. The three party leaders still appeared shell-shocked and unfamiliar with their new responsibilities. Behind the scenes members of the public service were floundering and looking for direction now that "policy" had become a dirty word associated with the previous Labor Government. The electorate had suspended judgement and most appeared not to want another election so soon after the unexpected outcome of 1995-96. The Coalition Government was anxious to begin the year afresh with some of the political scandals and controversies which dogged the new government in 1996 seeming to have 398 Political Chronicle abated. The government now intended to focus Country-based National Party members were on imposing its own mark in a range of policy most in danger of losing support in the event of areas while gradually accumulating a record of a challenge from the right-wing One Nation achievements. It was beginning to look at party, although city and provincial Labor seats improving its electoral chances and preparing were also not immune. The electorate remained the way for re-election. volatile, and did not display firm commitment to The Labor Opposition was also anxious to either major party grouping. Elections for local rebuild public confidence in their party after the government and for a state seat in a by-election protest votes of 1995 and 1996. Beattie's tactic gave some hint of this volatility. initially was to minimise the scope for political differences with the government, while Local Government Elections presenting a more humane and responsive message to Queenslanders. He sustained a Local government elections were held in March schedule of regular, almost daily comment and with shires and city councils going to the polls criticism on government proposals or failings, across the state. The results of these elections but was impeded by the impression that Labor were generally regarded as good news for the was once again a "one-man-band". Other ALP with strong Labor wins in Brisbane and spokespeople among the front bench were Townsville. Labor's Jim Soorley was returned in noticeable for their silence, and many Brisbane for his third term (with a vote of backbenchers were preoccupied with working almost sixty per cent) and was supported by a their own seats as a survival strategy. Labor majority on the city council. His Opinion polls in the early part of 1997 challenger Bob Mills put in a lacklustre recorded a large drop in support for the performance and with around only thirty-six per Coalition, with the primary preferences falling cent of the city-wide vote departed from city from forty-nine per cent enjoyed throughout politics. Mille steady leadership of the Liberal 1996 to a steady forty-one per cent for the caucus on the council was immediately missed period from January-June 1997. The ALP and the remaining Liberal councillors had some initially increased its support from forty to difficulty in determining who would be the next forty-one per cent the previous year to forty- sacrificial lamb to head the party at the local four per cent in January-March, but then fell level. Eventually June O'Connell was selected back to forty-one per cent again. This put both to lead the party. Soorley was only the second major political sides neck-and-neck in opinion Brisbane lord mayor to achieve a third term, and polls by mid-year. Those satisfied with the way he recommenced his new term committed to the premier Rob Borbidge was doing his job further restructuring and running the council on steadied at between forty-one to forty-three per business lines. In Townsville, Labor's Tony cent (well below the levels regularly achieved Mooney (the unsuccessful Mundingburra by the former premier Wayne Goss). Peter candidate in 1996) recorded a landslide victory Beattie achieved the same level of support for over a Liberal opponent, giving him his fourth the way he was performing as opposition leader. term as mayor. In Pine Rivers, the National On a head-to-head contest for most preferred Party's Yvonne Chapman was returned as the premier, Borbidge remained narrowly ahead of mayor winning by a massive margin, beating in Beattie (by thirty-nine to thirty-four per cent) the process a foriner Liberal parliamentarian but a high percentage of those surveyed Rosemary Kyburz. Gary Baildon beat the sitting remained uncommitted on this matter (twenty- mayor Ray Stevens in the Gold Coast (after eight per cent). The tightness of the polls served political flak over the high salaries of local to discourage the government from announcing councillors). a snap poll. They also tended to buoy the ALP slightly with some prospect of a return of some The Kurwongbah By-election in May voter support. The other significant factor in the polls was One electoral contest took place on 24 May in the rise in preferences for minor parties and the Labor-held seat of Kurwongbah located in "others" including independents (which rose the northwestern outskirts of Brisbane. from nine to eighteen per cent in published Kurwongbah had been a safe Labor seat, and the polls). Many sitting politicians openly party managed to retain it in 1995 with a countenanced the possibility of a tough election two-party-preferred vote of 55.9 per cent (after battle with local independents or (if the party suffering a seven per cent swing). This chose to stand for state elections) the new One by-election was caused by the sudden but not Nation party led by Pauline Hanson. unexpected exit of Margaret Woodgate from Political Chronicle 399 State Parliament. Although she served as of the Coalition Government would eventually Minister for Family and Community Services in rest on the capacity of the Liberals to hold (or the final months of the Goss Government, gain) southeast Queensland seats. The Monday Margaret Woodgate had been suffering failing after the by-election result the Liberals health for some time. Her decision to resign appointed a new State Director, Greg Goebel, a came after a spell in hospital. Careful to long-standing party activist. Goebel replaced preselect a woman for the still safe Labor seat, Jim Barron (who left to work for the Federal the ALP endorsed Linda Lavarch, the wife of Family Services Minister Judy Moylan). Goebel the former Federal Attorney-General, Michael explained he was appointed to lift the party and Lavarch. prepare for the next state election, saying it was Of the seven candidates who contested the his lob to make sure the organisation was in election, Labor's main challengers were the good shape for the fight". He also volunteered Liberals, who stood Peter Rankin — a non-local that the Coalition minority government was candidate who along with the party hierarchy "facing some challenges" and was "a new did not provide much evidence of active government that has had to learn some hard campaigning. Rankin confessed half way lessons and make fundamental changes in the through the campaign that he did not think he bureaucracy and direction" (Courier-Mail, 21 had a chance of winning the seat. This odd May 1997). tactic of conceding early did not appear to impress voters overly. Of more interest was the 1997-98 State Budget array of other candidates, including: a breakaway conservative candidate (Yvonne In the lead-up to the 1997-98 State Budget, the Moran who ran as an Independent), and a Coalition Government released a forty-page Shooters' Party candidate (Bev Salisbury). Kim glossy booklet called "Your Queensland" which Patano from the Greens stood again, and the was circulated via Sunday newspapers. As a morals campaigner, Rona Joyner, threw her hat propaganda exercise the idea was borrowed in the ring one more time. Yvonne Moran, who from the Kennett Government in Victoria, had unsuccessfully sought preselection through which had already identified that financial the Liberal Party, presented the main threat to transparency paid off in investor confidence. the Liberals from the right. She emphasised her The Queensland Government's effort was more local standing and had made statements which a "tick-list" of ostensible achievements (such as some regarded as sympathetic to Pauline delivering the previous State Budget, helping Hanson's One Nation party. increase international trade, provide new jobs). After the close of counting, Labor claimed it It included details of programme improvements, was "back from the political dead in extra spending and additional staff, and a Queensland". The Liberal's primary vote pot-pourri of news items of interest (often with collapsed in the by-election, dropping by eight a liberal interpretation of events such as the per cent from 1995. Labor's primary vote rose holiday visit of the US president Bill Clinton by three per cent to a total of 48.2 per cent of which was classified as a special event first preferences to the Liberal's 24.9 per cent. achievement of the Borbidge Government). The After the allocation of preferences, Labor Opposition greeted the booklet as a waste of claimed a two-party preferred vote of 60.2 per public money, and a publicly-produced piece of cent giving it a 4.3 per cent swing overall.