Minor parties may play a big role in Queensland state elections

Minor parties may play a big role in Queensland state elections

By Parminder Singh

Queensland state elections will be held on October 31, 2020 to elect the Queensland Parliament representative for a four-year fixed term. The state of parties at the moment is ALP-48, LNP-38, KAP- 3, Greens-1, One Nation-1, NQ First-1. An NQ First member was expelled from the LNP and he formed NQ First party. To form the government a party needs to win majority of seats or the support of majority of members. Minimum number required for majority is 47.

In the 2017 election for the 56th Queensland Parliament it was a very close race and many seats were marginal. ALP holds six seats with less than 2% margin. LNP holds 4 seats with less than 2% margin. Green’s also hold one seat on less than 2% margin. 33 seats are with 5% or less margin. A small swing of 1% away or towards the major parties can make a huge difference in the election outcome.

The vote-share of minor parties is gradually increasing and that of major parties is decreasing over the years. In the last election minor parties polled 31% of the primary votes. The Greens polled 2.5 % in 2001, and in the last election it polled 10% and won a seat for the first time. The other important minor party is One Nation. It polled 23% in 1998 and won 11 seats. However, its vote bank decreased gradually until the last election when it polled 14% of the votes. One Nation corroded the LNP votes both in 1998 and 2017. One Nation has affected LNP primary vote bank severely. Around 80% of Greens voters give their second preference to Labor whereas nearly 65% of the One Nation voters give their second preference to LNP.

In the 2017 election eighty-four of the ninety-three seats were won by the party that topped the poll on primary votes. Preferences changed the outcome in just nine seats. Labor holds most of its seats in the Greater Brisbane. LNP is dominant in regional Queensland, Gold Coast and the Sunshine coast. Since 1989 Labor has lost only one election and has been in power for 26 years out of 31 years. The table below shows the analysis of past elections.

In July 1995 the Labor government was returned with 46.73% of the two-party preferred votes. Labor lost a by-election in February 1996 and Rob Borbidge formed the National-Liberal coalition government with the support of an independent.

This year, in the absence of reliable opinion polls no conclusion can be drawn as to which party will win the election.

Know your candidates

Four Indian origin candidates from four different political parties are trying their luck to be the first Indian-origin persons to be representatives in the Queensland Parliament. These candidates are Palani Thevar for Labor for Maiwar, Pinky Singh for LNP for McConnel, Navdeep Singh for Greens from Jordan and Nik Aai Reddy for One Nation for Bancroft. Below we look at each candidate in the fray.

Palani Thevar is a Labor candidate from Maiwar. There were 37,608 registered voters in 2017 elections in Maiwar. As a social worker, Palani has dedicated his life to helping vulnerable people. He studied social work locally at the University of Queensland. Palani currently works in mental health care support and previously worked in the disability care sector. He has also worked as a Child Safety Support Officer, and as a Trauma Counsellor and Community Recovery Worker to victims of the 2019 Townsville Flood, 2017 Cyclone Debbie and the 2011 Brisbane Flood.

As a dad to three children with his wife Devi, Palani is committed to education funding. As the former president of The Federation of Indian Communities of Queensland (FICQ) the peak body representing the Indian diaspora in Queensland, Palani works with multicultural communities.

Pinky Singh is the LNP candidate for McConnel. Pinky Singh has always respected the value of hard work, and the importance of reward for effort. After moving to Australia at the age of 18 years with hard work and perseverance, with her husband Ben, they have helped to build successful small businesses and created jobs for locals. Pinky played a critical role assisting the family of the late Manmeet Alisher (the BCC bus driver who was murdered) following his tragic death in 2016 and acted as a spokesperson for the family in communicating with various government departments and media.

As a mother to three teenage children, Pinky is particularly passionate about helping the next generation and ensuring Queensland reaches its potential.

Navdeep Singh is the Greens candidate for Jordan. He is a Mechanical Engineer with a Graduate Certificate in Environmental Engineering and has worked in technical and management roles both in Australia and overseas. Navdeep started calling Queensland his home in 2007. After declining a job offer from a prestigious mining company, he used a small investment to start his own mechanic business.

Navdeep moved to Springfield in 2009. He came from an affluent agricultural area of India known as the food bowl. Navdeep is committed to bringing the voices of everyday people to the decision-making table and striking a balance between development and environmental protection.

Nik (Nikhil) Aai Reddy is One Nation candidate for Bancroft. Nik is a family man with government experience and passionate about community service. He was an international student, a skilled migrant and is a very proud Australian. He has worked in the Education sector, the Energy industry, and for both state and federal governments.

Having previously run locally in the federal election, he is aware of the many problems that the region is currently facing.