Labor and LNP strike fragile funeral truce in campaign for Jimmy Sullivan’s former seat
It is rare to reach an agreement between political parties in an election campaign. Queensland is no exception, with a winner-takes-all culture, even in single-seat byelections.
But sometimes this happens. So a campaign truce was reached between Labor and the LNP on Wednesday as mourners bid farewell to the late Stafford MP Jimmy Sullivan.
Whether a ceasefire will be achieved is another thing. While there was a notable lack of activity on the ground and on social media, the situation was different inside the walls of parliament.
Within one hour after MPs enter the parliament for the next session, 16 May by-election — its sudden nature that caught those outside the government off guard — was in the air.
First out the door was Greenslopes Labor MP Joe Kelly, deputy chairman of the government-controlled health, environment and innovation committee, whose chairman was venomous.
Kelly said the LNP’s Rob Molhoek agreed to postpone the committee’s special meeting set for that day and Kelly’s arrangements for a substitute to attend a public meeting.
Instead, an extra public briefing appeared on the schedule at 11:30 a.m. with Metro North Hospital and Healthcare. Sullivan’s funeralKelly said she considered him a friend.
This meeting was later postponed to Thursday. But Kelly said it was “dishonest and disgraceful” for the committee to hold such a meeting under the circumstances.
A few minutes into questioning time, Crisafulli was peppered with questions on the subject, as he has been every day this week. Election registration details for Sports Minister Tim Mander.
Responding to a question from deputy opposition leader Cameron Dick about when he first became aware of the relationship between Mander and his cabinet colleague Amanda Camm, Crisafulli deflected.
After Dick intervened during the Prime Minister’s reply using the word “Stafford”, Crisafulli began his thesis on what Mander’s pursuit was all about.
“Those who understand politics understand the reality of by-elections and what they mean for governments, but in this case we are faced with an opposition that is not doing very well at the moment – it is not doing that well at all – and it has a leader hanging by a thread,” Crisafulli said.
“The fact is: keen observers of history will know that the last time a by-election was held in Stafford the opposition got 18 per cent of the vote.”
Crisafulli later reiterated the double-digit swing benchmark he had imposed on Opposition Leader Steven Miles to ensure Labor’s leadership was not disrupted.
Both Deputy Prime Minister Jarrod Bleijie and Mermaid Beach MP Ray Stevens later also hit out at Labor candidate and deputy foreign secretary Luke Richmond.
Richmond, a lawyer with a background in health policy, will be joined on the ballot by eight others, including the LNP’s 2024 candidate and former Brisbane councilor Fiona Hammond.
Electoral Commissioner Pat Vidgen, who announced the full list of nominated candidates after Friday’s cut-off and voting, said such a showing was strong ground for a by-election.
Other previously known candidates include Liam Parry, first person accused It was approved by the Queensland Socialists – who have not yet registered – under the LNP’s ban on Palestine protest slogans.
Jess Lane, who won 18 per cent of the vote for the Greens in 2024, works in the education sector and wore a pro-Palestinian watermelon pin in her campaign material, announced on Friday that she, too, will run again.
These two alone could probably help explain to outsiders the demographics of marginal Labour’s inner-northern suburbs: younger than average and with a higher proportion of renters and university graduates.
Also left of center are Lucy O’Brien (Animal Justice Party) and Jacqueline Varne (Legalizing Cannabis Qld).
One Nation received 3.2 percent of the primary vote in 2024. With the submission of the party they can test after early recommendations increasing voting numbers but on the actual ballot in their states, only two options appear to be clearly to the right of the government.
These are Family First’s Alan Denaro and Daniel Selff (Libertarians), who received just 1.9 percent of the vote in 2024. Damian Smart, who has a low online profile, will compete as an independent.
Early voting for over 41,000 people registered for it It will start on May 5 and will continue until May 15. Voting by mail can be requested until May 4.
Even before Lane’s candidacy was announced, Crisafulli was fielding questions in parliament about any deal One Nation would sign by calling on Labor to unveil any “agreement” on how to vote for the Greens, which he described as an “anti-Semitic movement”.
Crisafulli and his ministers have used the week, almost 18 months since their return to government, to tout successes on crime, health, housing and the cost of living.
Fuel safety also continued to be at the top of the list of talked about topics and announcements. new vote for this masthead It showed that the LNP had lost some skin (even if Crisafulli remained bullish).
Labor has continued its push for more urgent action on affordability concerns, focusing much of the campaign on expansion plans for the local Prince Charles hospital.
But also the opposition for the first timevoted against a package of the government’s flagship “adult time, adult crimes” bills – although they also included other, far more controversial changes.
Meanwhile and its final rejection controversial ones, divisive and unpopular Gun control and antisemitism laws gave Labor greater opposition sentiment; Tightening his 5.3 per cent margin at Stafford – let alone a loss – could reduce this somewhat.
(Although party figures were previously unofficial deadline towards the end of this year Miles’ claims about LNP leadership threats should be taken with some skepticism if he is to increase Labour’s primary vote support based on the lessons he has learned from his 10-month runway to his 2024 election loss).
Midterm elections, on average, tend to result in swings against the government and/or the incumbent party, but this is not always the case.
By 1996 the average vote against the government among the 23 members of the Queensland parliament was 4.2 per cent, compared to 5.9 per cent against the incumbent party.
By comparison, the two most recent ones produced the biggest changes in voter support.
High water release against the government was 21.5 percent Against Labor in Inala in early 2024after his resignation former prime minister Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Meanwhile, the biggest move against the government came late last yearWhen the LNP is rewarded Hinchinbrook of Katter’s Australian Party with a swing of 16.87 percent.
But the keen observers of politics and history Crisafulli evokes probably know exactly the realities of byelections for the governments he was referring to on Wednesday.
Therefore, they will likely understand exactly what he is doing: underestimating his own prospects while increasing the stakes for his opponent. (Similar to what Labor members did by arguing that the contest would be tighter and they could still go their own way).
I’m not even talking about the facts Crisafulli’s chosen criterion Measuring the results of both major parties comes from a very different and arrogant period in the state’s political history; The LNP has been fighting hard to forget this ever since.
Be careful
- Keen observers are probably also aware of Palaszczuk’s highly anticipated memoir: The Politics of Being Mesomething that will hit shelves next Tuesday and contain absolutely no explanation Is there any party intrigue behind his resignation? has the potential to fuel unhelpful questions for current senior party figures and LNP leadership pins.
- The CFMEU investigation will continue with public hearings next week, following this week’s hearing. emergence of a threat From Labour’s former industrial relations minister, Grace Grace, to contractors on the Toowoomba Bypass over their dealings with the CFMEU, the government has seized on calls for an immediate response (which it has also delivered). in the form of a brief denial) outside the official setting of the investigation to which he has just been summoned. Parliament, and investigationParallel sessions will then be held in the week leading up to the general election in Stafford on Saturday.
Matt Dennien is a reporter covering state politics and public services for the Brisbane Times. He previously worked for newspapers in Tasmania and Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ. Contact him securely on Signal @mattdennien.15Connect via email.
