The incumbent Labor government in the region experienced the biggest political rout in Australia’s electoral history as the country continues to lurch to the right.
PERTH (MINEWEB) – Even the incoming Liberal National Party (LNP) Premier of Queensland, Campbell Newman, had not anticipated the biggest political rout in Australia’s electoral history when the incumbent Labor Government lost 48 sitting members which prompted outgoing Premier Anna Bligh to quit politics.
With eight seats in the one-house Queensland Parliament still in the undecided category this morning the Australian Labor Party had five seats and was expected to hold another two while the LNP held 82, the Katter Australian Party (named after firebrand rural politician Bob Katter) has two, and independents retained two.
There will be a by-election called for Anna Bligh’s seat after she said Queenslanders had made it clear she was not wanted. Some commentators said this morning that her seat may now well go to the LNP because Australians don’t like by-elections of this type.
The swing against Labor was about 16% and political commentators were saying yesterday that Queensland Labor was on the nose for a variety of issues, including financial management.
However, former Federal Labor powerbroker and senator, Graham Richardson, now a political commentator commented: “I think people just wanted to get rid of Anna Bligh but I think they want to get rid of (Prime Minister) Julia Gillard as violently as possible.”
Gillard headed off at the weekend to South Korea for a security conference, also being attended by American President Barack Obama, and apparently had a muted response.
However, her deputy and Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan said: Federal issues didn’t play any significant role.” That sounds like a completely unattired emperor.
Opinion polls have been showing how deep set the enmity is now against the Gillard Government which lurches from one disaster to another.
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