Extract from The Guardian
Campbell Newman to be referred to the Queensland Electoral Commission
after he confirmed only electorates that voted for an LNP candidate
would receive promised local projects
An independent Queensland MP will refer Campbell Newman
to the Queensland Electoral Commission over the Liberal National
party’s commitment to only fund promised local projects, such as park
upgrades, if the electorate votes for an LNP candidate.
Peter Wellington has labelled the move “outrageous”, accusing the LNP of only governing for some Queenslanders. He is preparing to send a letter to the QEC on Tuesday alleging Newman has contravened the Electoral Act by “blackmailing” voters into voting for the LNP.
Newman has confirmed that if the LNP wins government it will not fund promised projects in electorates if the area does not have an LNP MP, arguing it would mean the electorate had rejected the proposal.
“No longer are the Liberal National party promising to govern for all Queenslanders, but only the ones who vote for them,” Wellington said.
“In other words, if you don’t vote Liberal National, you will get nothing. This is not the Australian way and no longer are Queenslanders equal before the law. This is nothing but blackmail and intimidation. I urge Queenslanders to treat the LNP with the contempt they deserve and on election day send them a message they won’t forget.”
Wellington announced via Facebook he would be referring the premier to the QEC on Tuesday on the grounds it breached the electoral acts because it was using “outrageous bribes” to win votes.
The tactic has been declared unprecedented by any party in Queensland by Brisbane council opposition leader and former Queensland Labor campaign director, Milton Dick, who said he had not witnessed either party do it in the past 20 years in Queensland.
“It’s unprecedented that any party would attempt to, in my opinion, blackmail voters to say if you vote a certain way you will get certain projects. Commitments and promises have always been made, by both sides, and they’ve always been honoured once government is formed,” he said.
“I think it’s unheard of, certainly in Queensland, in my 20 years of experience, I’m unaware of any examples where a party has promised only if an electorate votes a certain way.”
Funding and projects at risk if the LNP wins government but loses the electorate include $1m in the Gold Coast seats of Gaven and Burleigh, with some of the money to be spent on new ambulances, upgrades to a swimming pool and local AFL club in the inner Brisbane seat of Bulimba, $1m for a skatepark facility in Rockhampton and $85,000 for shade sails in the Brisbane Redland Bay state school.
In Newman’s electorate of Ashgrove, which he holds with a 5.7% margin, $18m worth of projects have been promised if he is re-elected.
“I’ve got a strong plan for Ashgrove but I point to the other strong plans that local members who are delivering fantastic road infrastructure upgrades, things like the Sunshine Coast rail upgrade that will take cars off the Bruce Highway, everywhere across this state there are vital projects that the LNP will deliver if we’re re-elected and we can fund those projects and we will deliver them,” he told reporters in his electorate on Monday.
“I’ll just say that if we don’t have a strong LNP government those things don’t happen.”
Asked directly how he would handle perceptions of pork barrelling, Newman responded: “The people of Ashgrove, as will be the case across the state, if they re-elect an LNP government, will see infrastructure being delivered, important community facilities, support to our schools. Better healthcare, better roads and better public transport, that is what we will be delivering.”
Newman has defended the tactic, saying it is about what the voters want. “I’ll be very, very clear: if it’s in the candidate or the member’s strong local plan, that is the candidate’s plan,” he said on Sunday.
“And it is dependent on the candidate being elected. That’s pretty clear.”
Peter Wellington has labelled the move “outrageous”, accusing the LNP of only governing for some Queenslanders. He is preparing to send a letter to the QEC on Tuesday alleging Newman has contravened the Electoral Act by “blackmailing” voters into voting for the LNP.
Newman has confirmed that if the LNP wins government it will not fund promised projects in electorates if the area does not have an LNP MP, arguing it would mean the electorate had rejected the proposal.
“No longer are the Liberal National party promising to govern for all Queenslanders, but only the ones who vote for them,” Wellington said.
“In other words, if you don’t vote Liberal National, you will get nothing. This is not the Australian way and no longer are Queenslanders equal before the law. This is nothing but blackmail and intimidation. I urge Queenslanders to treat the LNP with the contempt they deserve and on election day send them a message they won’t forget.”
Wellington announced via Facebook he would be referring the premier to the QEC on Tuesday on the grounds it breached the electoral acts because it was using “outrageous bribes” to win votes.
The tactic has been declared unprecedented by any party in Queensland by Brisbane council opposition leader and former Queensland Labor campaign director, Milton Dick, who said he had not witnessed either party do it in the past 20 years in Queensland.
“It’s unprecedented that any party would attempt to, in my opinion, blackmail voters to say if you vote a certain way you will get certain projects. Commitments and promises have always been made, by both sides, and they’ve always been honoured once government is formed,” he said.
“I think it’s unheard of, certainly in Queensland, in my 20 years of experience, I’m unaware of any examples where a party has promised only if an electorate votes a certain way.”
Funding and projects at risk if the LNP wins government but loses the electorate include $1m in the Gold Coast seats of Gaven and Burleigh, with some of the money to be spent on new ambulances, upgrades to a swimming pool and local AFL club in the inner Brisbane seat of Bulimba, $1m for a skatepark facility in Rockhampton and $85,000 for shade sails in the Brisbane Redland Bay state school.
In Newman’s electorate of Ashgrove, which he holds with a 5.7% margin, $18m worth of projects have been promised if he is re-elected.
“I’ve got a strong plan for Ashgrove but I point to the other strong plans that local members who are delivering fantastic road infrastructure upgrades, things like the Sunshine Coast rail upgrade that will take cars off the Bruce Highway, everywhere across this state there are vital projects that the LNP will deliver if we’re re-elected and we can fund those projects and we will deliver them,” he told reporters in his electorate on Monday.
“I’ll just say that if we don’t have a strong LNP government those things don’t happen.”
Asked directly how he would handle perceptions of pork barrelling, Newman responded: “The people of Ashgrove, as will be the case across the state, if they re-elect an LNP government, will see infrastructure being delivered, important community facilities, support to our schools. Better healthcare, better roads and better public transport, that is what we will be delivering.”
Newman has defended the tactic, saying it is about what the voters want. “I’ll be very, very clear: if it’s in the candidate or the member’s strong local plan, that is the candidate’s plan,” he said on Sunday.
“And it is dependent on the candidate being elected. That’s pretty clear.”
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