2006 Queensland state election

An election was held in the Australian state of Queensland on 9 September 2006 to elect the 89 members of the state's Legislative Assembly, after being announced by Premier Peter Beattie on 15 August 2006.

The election saw the incumbent Labor government led by Premier Peter Beattie defeat the National-Liberal Coalition led by Lawrence Springborg and Bruce Flegg respectively, and gain a fourth consecutive term in office. Beattie thus became the first Labor Premier of Queensland to win four consecutive elections since William Forgan Smith did so in the 1930s. Had Beattie served out his fourth term, he would have become the second-longest serving Queensland Premier, after Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen. After the election, Springborg resigned as Opposition Leader, being replaced by Jeff Seeney.

This was the last election contested by the Queensland Liberal Party and National Party, who merged to form the Liberal National Party of Queensland on 26 July 2008. Background From mid-2005, after the revelation of the Jayant Patel scandal, the issue of health had become a focus of controversy, damaging to the Beattie government. After several inquiries and industrial disputes, a restructure of Queensland Health took place, and the state government was at the time lobbying the federal government for more doctor training places in universities for Queensland.

Other issues of importance at the election included environmental management and land clearing, asbestos in state schools, the provision of transportation and infrastructure to rural and regional areas, and the management of South East Queensland's population growth.

The campaign started unusually with Premier Peter Beattie denying a general election was about to be called, while residents in some Gold Coast electorates received direct mail from the ALP stating that the election had been called for September.

At a press conference on 16 August, Liberal leader Bruce Flegg stated that in the event that the Coalition won government, and the Liberal Party won more seats than the Nationals, Lawrence Springborg would still become Premier. Other Liberal Party MPs such as Michael Caltabiano disagreed, as this ran contrary to the coalition agreement signed between the two parties, which stated that whichever party won the most seats would form government. The ALP used this to attack Coalition stability in media and advertising.

Flegg was subsequently asked to leave a shopping centre in the Redcliffe suburb of Kippa-Ring for failing to obtain permission to do a campaign walkthrough. Flegg later denied that he had in fact been evicted.

On 22 August, Flegg took part in a media conference with Julie Bishop, federal Liberal Minister for Education, where he endorsed a Federal Government plan for the mandatory teaching of Australian history in schools. Responding to questions from journalists, he failed to identify the date of arrival of the Second Fleet (1790), or the person after whom Brisbane was named (noted astronomer and Governor of New South Wales Sir Thomas Brisbane).

Two sad twists of fate impacted the 26-day campaign - on 30 August, opposition leader Lawrence Springborg took temporary leave from the campaign after the sudden death of his father-in-law, and National Party deputy leader Jeff Seeney and Liberal leader Bruce Flegg continued the campaign in his absence. The death of TV personality Steve Irwin ("The Crocodile Hunter") on 4 September in an accident off Port Douglas, Queensland, took the media's focus away from the election in its final week.

Current Treasurer Anna Bligh has stated the coalition's major election promises of wiping out stamp duty within five years, increasing the first home buyers grant by $3,000 and introducing a 10% per litre subsidy on ethanol-blended petrol will cost $2.4 billion and has blown the budget. Lawrence Springborg says all his election promises are costed and affordable, with costings to be released two days before the election. So far these costings have not been released.

On Friday 8 September, the day before the election, Premier Beattie and Opposition Leader Springborg participated in a "great debate" at the Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre, moderated by ABC journalist Chris O'Brien.

Although Newspoll and other published polls showed Labor well ahead on predicted two-party-preferred vote, Labor strategists feared that people would vote for the Coalition in a protest vote, expecting Beattie not to lose. They adopted a strategy of denying Labor was in fact ahead. The Roy Morgan poll suggested the Liberal vote had fallen, while the Greens had risen to 8%.

Key dates Date Event 15 August 2006 Writs were issued by the Governor to proceed with an election 19 August 2006 Close of electoral rolls 22 August 2006 Close of nominations 9 September 2006 Polling day, between the hours of 8am and 6pm 13 September 2006 Beattie Ministry reconstituted 22 September 2006 Writ returned and results formally declared 10 October 2006 52nd Parliament convened

Retiring members

Labor

Tom Barton (Waterford) Darryl Briskey (Cleveland) Lesley Clark (Barron River) Nita Cunningham (Bundaberg) Jim Fouras (Ashgrove) Don Livingstone (Ipswich West) Tony McGrady (Mount Isa) Gordon Nuttall (Sandgate) Henry Palaszczuk (Inala) Terry Sullivan (Stafford)

Liberal

Bob Quinn (Robina)

National

Marc Rowell (Hinchinbrook)

Results

Seats changing hands Seat 2004 Election Swing 2006 Election Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Bundaberg  Labor Nita Cunningham 5.29 –6.24 0.95 Jack Dempsey National  Chatsworth  Liberal Michael Caltabiano¹ 2.49 –3.37 0.78 Chris Bombolas Labor  Clayfield  Labor Liddy Clark 1.17 –2.85 1.67 Tim Nicholls Liberal  Gaven  National Alex Douglas¹ 3.35 –6.44 3.09 Phil Gray Labor  Gympie  Independent Elisa Roberts 10.05 –28.29 18.24 David Gibson National  Kawana  Labor Chris Cummins 1.48 –7.15 5.68 Steve Dickson Liberal  Noosa  Labor Cate Molloy² 8.66 –14.98 6.32 Glen Elmes Liberal  Redcliffe  Liberal Terry Rogers¹ 1.25 –6.70 5.45 Lillian van Litsenburg Labor 

Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election. ¹ Michael Caltabiano gained Chatsworth for the Liberal Party at the 2005 by-election. Alex Douglas gained Gaven for the National Party at the 2006 by-election. Terry Rogers gained Redcliffe for the Liberal Party at the 2005 by-election. The Labor Party had retained Chatsworth, Gaven, and Redcliffe at the 2004 election. ² Cate Molloy resigned from the Labor Party and contested the election as an independent.

Post-election pendulum

Labor seats (59)Marginal ClevelandPhil WeightmanALP0.54% ChatsworthChris BombolasALP0.78% Hervey BayAndrew McNamaraALP1.79% IndooroopillyRonan LeeALP2.43% MudgeerabaDianne ReillyALP2.93% GavenPhil GrayALP3.09% WhitsundayJan JarrattALP4.36% AspleyBonny BarryALP4.61% Barron RiverSteve WettenhallALP5.14% SpringwoodBarbara StoneALP5.17% BroadwaterPeta-Kaye CroftALP5.21% PumicestoneCarryn SullivanALP5.42% RedcliffeLillian van LitsenburgALP5.45%Fairly Safe RedlandsJohn EnglishALP6.92% KeppelPaul HoolihanALP7.19% Glass HouseCarolyn MaleALP7.68% MansfieldPhil ReevesALP7.73% CairnsDesley BoyleALP8.07% AshgroveKate JonesALP8.08% BurleighChristine SmithALP8.33% TownsvilleMike ReynoldsALP9.10% SouthportPeter LawlorALP9.11% MulgraveWarren PittALP9.92%Safe GreenslopesGary FenlonALP10.11% EvertonRod WelfordALP10.15% Mount OmmaneyJulie AttwoodALP10.20% KallangurKen HaywardALP10.33% Toowoomba NorthKerry ShineALP10.41% Mount Coot-thaAndrew FraserALP10.45% MurrumbaDean WellsALP11.58% MundingburraLindy Nelson-CarrALP11.83% Ferny GroveGeoff WilsonALP12.07% Mount IsaBetty KiernanALP12.28% KurwongbahLinda LavarchALP12.36% Mount GravattJudy SpenceALP12.88% Ipswich WestWayne WendtALP13.11% YeerongpillySimon FinnALP13.75% StrettonStephen RobertsonALP14.19% Brisbane CentralPeter BeattieALP14.77% StaffordStirling HinchliffeALP14.89% CookJason O'BrienALP15.13% SandgateVicky DarlingALP15.19% WaterfordEvan MoorheadALP15.85% CapalabaMichael ChoiALP16.17% BulimbaPat PurcellALP16.24% FitzroyJim PearceALP16.40% LyttonPaul LucasALP16.85% AlbertMargaret KeechALP17.01% ThuringowaCraig WallaceALP17.01% MackayTim MulherinALP17.62% AlgesterKaren StruthersALP17.84% NudgeeNeil RobertsALP18.34% South BrisbaneAnna BlighALP18.39% Very SafeRockhamptonRobert SchwartenALP20.52%IpswichRachel NolanALP21.62%LoganJohn MickelALP23.90%BundambaJo-Ann MillerALP24.78%InalaAnnastacia PalaszczukALP26.34%WoodridgeDesley ScottALP28.99% National/Liberal seats (25)MarginalBundabergJack DempseyNAT0.95%ClayfieldTim NichollsLIB1.67%LockyerIan RickussNAT1.74%CurrumbinJann StuckeyLIB2.22%BurdekinRosemary MenkensNAT2.40%RobinaRay StevensLIB2.53%HinchinbrookAndrew CrippsNAT3.69%CaloundraMark McArdleLIB4.45%BeaudesertKev LingardNAT4.49%KawanaSteve DicksonLIB5.68%Fairly SafeNoosaGlen ElmesLIB6.32% v INDMiraniTed MaloneNAT6.47%BurnettRob MessengerNAT7.57%MoggillBruce FleggLIB7.95%Toowoomba SouthMike HoranNAT9.79%SafeMaroochydoreFiona SimpsonNAT10.68%Charters TowersShane KnuthNAT11.05%Surfers ParadiseJohn-Paul LangbroekLIB11.98%CunninghamStuart CopelandNAT16.43%GregoryVaughan JohnsonNAT17.96%GympieDavid GibsonNAT18.24% v INDDarling DownsRay HopperNAT19.14%Very SafeSouthern DownsLawrence SpringborgNAT20.28%CallideJeff SeeneyNAT22.28%WarregoHoward HobbsNAT23.34%Crossbench seats (5)GladstoneLiz CunninghamIND1.99% v ALPNanangoDorothy PrattIND4.24% v NATTablelandsRosa Lee LongONP19.77% v ALPNicklinPeter WellingtonIND25.08% v NATMaryboroughChris FoleyIND32.73% v ALP

Subsequent changes

On 13 September 2007, Labor Premier Peter Beattie (Brisbane Central) resigned. At the by-election on 13 October 2007, Grace Grace retained the seat for the Labor Party. On 26 July 2008, the Queensland Liberal Party and the Queensland National Party agreed to merge into the Liberal National Party. All sitting Liberal Party and National Party members became members of the Liberal National Party. On 5 October 2008, Ronan Lee (Indooroopilly) resigned from the Labor Party and joined the Greens. On 24 February 2009, Stuart Copeland (Cunningham) resigned from the Liberal National Party and sat as an independent.

State of the parties before the election

Since April 2006, the ALP held 60 of the 89 seats in the Legislative Assembly, the Coalition 23 seats (16 National and seven Liberal), along with five Independents and one member of the One Nation Party. Thus to win an outright majority (45 seats), the Coalition would have needed to win an additional 22 seats from the ALP, the Independents or One Nation, assuming that they retained all of their own seats. This would have required a uniform swing against Labor of approximately 8% (such swings are very rare).

Sitting Labor member for Noosa, Cate Molloy, had resigned from the Labor Party following her disendorsement as a Labor candidate, which in turn followed her repudiation of the state government's plans to build a dam on the Mary River at Traveston. Molloy recontested the seat as an independent.

Members who did not recontest their seats

A number of members of parliament retired at this election:

Tom Barton: Waterford, ALP Darryl Briskey: Cleveland, ALP Dr Lesley Clark: Barron River, ALP Nita Cunningham: Bundaberg, ALP Jim Fouras: Ashgrove, ALP Don Livingstone: Ipswich West, ALP Tony McGrady: Mount Isa, ALP Gordon Nuttall: Sandgate, ALP Henry Palaszczuk: Inala, ALP Bob Quinn: Robina, Liberal Terry Sullivan: Stafford, ALP Marc Rowell: Hinchinbrook, Nationals

Polling