Voters in Brisbane’s inner suburbs have turned out in unprecedented numbers for the Queensland Greens who have won at least two city seats at the state election, including that of Labor’s prominent left faction leader Jackie Trad.
Across four electorates spanning the Brisbane CBD and surrounding northern and western suburbs, the Greens polled more than a third of primary votes.
South Brisbane – where community worker Amy MacMahon defeated former deputy premier and treasurer Trad – was the only seat Labor lost on an otherwise successful election night.
However the Green wave – which came very close to capturing more Labor-held seats – will cause concern within Labor that the party’s efforts to pitch itself to coal country voters may have prompted a backlash among young and climate-conscious people in the city.
Inner Brisbane going to turn into a real turf war between Labor and the Greens. Think some people still under-estimate the animosity and Labor's commitment to not do a deal. #qldpol
— Glenn Kefford (@GlennKefford) October 31, 2020
The state election featured animosity between Labor and Greens supporters, in large part due to the campaign to unseat Trad.
As one of Labor’s most progressive MPs and the champion of abortion decriminalisation and other reforms, Trad had been relentlessly targeted by News Corp publications and the Liberal National party.
Jackie has been a staunch and fearless representative.
— Terri Butler MP (@terrimbutler) October 31, 2020
She faced an appalling smear and dirty tricks campaign with great dignity.
I am grateful to her and her family for everything they have done for our community.#southbrisbane #qldpol
The Greens also held the seat of Maiwar, where Michael Berkman will serve a second term. It had been marginal but Berkman now holds the seat, which is centred on Indooroopilly and Toowong, by about 7%.
The leftwing party led in the northern suburbs seat of Cooper – once held by the LNP’s Campbell Newman, and where popular Labor minister Kate Jones is retiring – for much of the count on Saturday night but pre-poll and postal vote counts appear to have delivered it back to Labor.
Last night Berkman said the party had pitched a “radical redistributive platform” to voters, including a massive hike to mining royalties to pay for social services.
“People are responding to that,” he told the ABC. “For us, this election has really been about ordinary Queenslanders versus mining billionaires and vested interests.
“The Queenslanders we’ve spoken to, they’re making these voices heard with these results.
“I’m absolutely chuffed to see the rest of these results come in. We’ve been speaking to people on the doors all over the city here and we know they like the platform we’ve brought.”
Labor sources said the rising Greens vote is “a clear challenge” for the party, but its broader election success, particularly in regional Queensland, meant it was unlikely Labor would pivot to counter.
“It’s easy to beat up on mining companies when you don’t have to campaign in Mackay,” one Labor MP told the Guardian.
