A predicted LNP rout in Queensland has failed, with the government holding on to many of its critical marginal seats.

May 18, 2019

The Battle of Queensland appears to have been won by the Morrison coalition government.

Labor is struggling to have an impact in the state, where a slew of marginal seats were up for grabs and was the focus of heavy campaigning by both sides.

The controversial Adani coal mine project – and Labor’s ambivalent response to it – appears to have played a part in central Queenslanders giving their vote to the Liberal National Party.

Senior Labor frontbencher Brendan O’Connor has blamed the heavy spending by Clive Palmer and his party and One Nation directing preferences to the LNP.

Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton looks likely to hold his northern Brisbane seat of Dickson.

George Christensen, who was dubbed the MP for Manila for the number of days he spent visiting his fiancee in the Philippines, is expected to be returned in Dawson without any problem. 

The LNP is also leading in the Townsville seat Herbert – won by Labor’s Cathy O’Toole in 2016 by just 37 votes – where Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party appears to have failed.

The LNP has also retained the coastal seats of Flynn, Capricornia and Leichhardt.

Senior Labor senator Penny Wong told the ABC Queensland “is tough for us.”

She said climate change was a significant issue in the election, with the coalition talking about it in a scare campaign.

Liberal senator Arthur Sinodinos said the anti-Adani convoy, which drove through Queensland half-way through the campaign, annoyed Queenslanders.

“The Bob Brown caravan which went up there to talk about stopping Adani, had locals thinking, “Hang on, you are not going to tell us how to live”,” he told the ABC.

Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie told Nine she was not surprised that Mr Christensen had been returned.

“He has been backing jobs in his electorate, and that is part of the fight,” she told Nine.

“The fact is, this is a seat that relies on mining jobs, and George is at the front of that fight.”