Qld result lesson to listen: Vic Labor
Labor’s wipeout in Queensland is a lesson in electoral volatility, Victorian Labor leader Daniel Andrews says.
The annihilation of Queensland Labor in Saturday’s election to the Liberal National Party (LNP) comes a year after a similar devastating election result for Labor in NSW and losses of government in Victoria and Western Australia.
Mr Andrews says the Queensland election had been fought on state issues.
“The lesson for Victoria is there is a volatility in the Australian electorate that we perhaps have not seen before,” he told AAP on Sunday.
“People are more than willing to change governments and issue the harshest of verdicts if they believe politicians are not listening.”
He denied the loss indicted “doomsday” for the Labor brand saying exiting Labor premier Anna Bligh faced a tough election and powerful move for change.
“We don’t underestimate the challenge we face winning back the trust of ordinary Victorians,” he said.
Mr Andrews said Labor’s win in the Niddrie by-election showed voters resonated with the party’s focus on jobs and basic services.
Residents in the northwestern Melbourne seat were sent to the polls on Saturday after former deputy premier Rob Hulls quit politics due to illness.
Despite the coalition government electing not to run a candidate in the safe Labor seat, Mr Andrews said he was pleased at Labor’s three per cent increase in the primary vote.
“People who have not voted Labor, voted Labor yesterday,” he said.
“I can’t make the Liberal party find the courage to run. They chose a pretty cowardly act, not to run.”
Ports Minister Denis Napthine defended the decision not to run a candidate.
“We needed to concentrate on the main task of governing the state, fixing the problems of 11 years of (Labor) mismanagement,” he said.
It would be a disappointing if Labor had not captured less than 50 per cent of the vote in a “one-horse race,” he said.
Dr Napthine said the LNP win was a great result for Queensland.
“I wish them well as they face the challenging task of governing Queensland.”