2024 Queensland state election
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The 2024 Queensland state election is scheduled to be held on 26 October 2024 to elect all members to the Legislative Assembly of Queensland pursuant to the Constitution (Fixed Term Parliament) Amendment Act 2015. As a result of the 2016 Queensland term length referendum, the term of the parliament will run for four years.[1][2]
The Labor government will attempt to win a fourth consecutive term against the Liberal National Party, currently led by David Crisafulli, Queensland Greens, Pauline Hanson's One Nation and various other parties and independents. On 10 December 2023, Annastacia Palaszczuk announced her resignation after more than eight years in government, prompting a leadership vote to elect a new leader and subsequently Premier.[3]
Electoral system[edit]
Queensland has compulsory voting and uses full-preference instant-runoff voting for single-member electorates. The election will be conducted by the Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ). The party or coalition that wins the majority of seats (at least 47) will form the government. If no majority emerges then the party or coalition that is able to command the confidence of the Legislative Assembly will form government.
The party or coalition that wins the second highest number of seats forms the opposition, with the remaining parties and independents candidates being allocated to the cross bench.
The Queensland Parliament is the only unicameral state parliament in Australia, composed of the Legislative Assembly. The upper house, the Queensland Legislative Council was abolished in 1922.
Key dates[edit]
The election will be for all 93 members of the Legislative Assembly. Pursuant to Constitution (Fixed Term Parliament) Amendment Act 2015 Queensland has fixed terms, with all elections following the 2020 election held every four years on the last Saturday of October.[4] The Governor may call an election earlier than scheduled if the Government does not maintain confidence, or the annual appropriation bill fails to pass.
Background[edit]
Annastacia Palaszczuk resigned as premier in 2023 and was succeeded by Steven Miles.[5] On 16 March 2024, the first elections during his leadership, two by-elections, were held in Inala and Ipswich West.[6] Despite being held by safe margins of 28.2% and 14.3% respectively, a massive swing against the Labor party was recorded in both seats, resulting in the margin in Inala being cut by more than 20%, and the loss of Ipswich West to the LNP.[7]
Campaign[edit]
The LNP is campaigning heavily on four key issues, which it has labelled as crises: crime (particularly youth crime), cost-of-living, housing affordability and health. Crisafulli credited Labor's poor results at the "Super Saturday" elections in the state (where local government elections were held alongside two by-elections in the traditionally Labor-held seats of Inala and Ipswich West, the latter being gained by the LNP) with voters' anger over Labor's handling of those key issues.[8] After what Miles described as a "very bad result" for Labor at the two state by-elections, he accused the LNP of "sensationalising and politicising" crime to win votes.[9]
Opinion polling and betting odds have the LNP as the firm favourites to win the election in a landslide, with Miles himself conceding that it was "very likely" that Labor would lose the election, whilst also criticising Crisafulli's "small target strategy" and claiming he had a lack of plans despite likely becoming the state's next Premier.[10] An opinion poll conducted by YouGov and released on 26 April 2024 saw Labor record a two-party-preferred vote of just 44%, while Miles had a net negative approval rating of –22%, marking the worst opinion poll result for a Queensland Premier in 20 years.[11]
Candidates[edit]
Crisafulli began announcing LNP candidates 18 months prior to the election, making the LNP the first party to formally endorse candidates for the election.[12] The LNP announced several other candidates afterwards. The second party to formally endorse a candidate was Katter's Australian Party (KAP), announcing their candidate for the Far North Queensland seat of Cook on 6 October 2023.[13]
Preferences[edit]
One Nation leader and federal Senator Pauline Hanson confirmed that One Nation would preference the LNP over Labor in every seat, despite her distrust of both major parties.[14]
Retiring members[edit]
Labor[edit]
- Stirling Hinchliffe (Sandgate) – announced retirement on 11 October 2023.[15]
- Barry O'Rourke (Rockhampton) – announced retirement on 13 November 2023, citing health issues.[16]
- Yvette D'Ath (Redcliffe) – announced retirement on 22 February 2024, citing the need to find more balance in her life.[17]
Liberal National[edit]
- Mark Robinson (Oodgeroo) – announced retirement on 16 June 2023.[18]
- Michael Hart (Burleigh) – announced retirement on 6 September 2023.[19]
- Lachlan Millar (Gregory) – announced retirement on 18 October 2023.[20]
Electoral pendulum[edit]
This is a pre-election pendulum for the 2024 Queensland state election. Members in italics will not contest the election. By-elections were held in four seats during this term of Parliament that changed their margins. See the footnotes for details.
- Notes
- ^ In 2024 there was a by-election after Annastacia Palaszczuk resigned from her seat. This 2CP vote is based on that by-election result.
- ^ In 2021 there was a by-election after the death of Duncan Pegg. This 2CP vote is based on that by-election result.
- ^ In 2024 there was a by-election after Labor MP Jim Madden resigned from his seat. This 2CP vote is based on that by-election result.
- ^ In 2022 there was a by-election after Colin Boyce was elected to the seat of Flynn in the 2022 Australian Federal Election. This 2CP vote is based on that by-election result.
Opinion polling[edit]
Notes[edit]
- ^ a b Labor lost the seat of Ipswich West to the LNP at a by-election in 2024, increasing the LNP's seat total to 35 and decreasing Labor's seat total to 51.
References[edit]
- ^ The Queensland Electoral System Queensland Parliament
- ^ Queensland referendum: Vote on four-year parliamentary terms passes ABC News 5 April 2016
- ^ Remeikis, Amy (10 December 2023). "Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk retires from politics". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 10 December 2023.
- ^ "Constitution (Fixed Term Parliament) Amendment Act 2015" (PDF). www.legislation.qld.gov.au.
- ^ Remeikis, Amy (10 December 2023). "Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk retires from politics". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "'Send a strong message': Why a Labor seat could be in play in Queensland's upcoming by-election". ABC News. 8 March 2024. Retrieved 14 March 2024.
- ^ "Shockwaves as voters deliver Miles government a huge blow in by-elections". 7NEWS. 16 March 2024. Retrieved 17 March 2024.
- ^ "'A kick in the pants with steel cap boots': What do two 'very bad' by-elections mean for Labor in Queensland?". ABC News. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ "Miles concedes his government faces wipe-out if local elections replicated". www.9news.com.au. 17 March 2024. Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fnation%2Fsteven-miles-says-election-wipeout-very-likely-as-new-poll-puts-lnp-in-box-seat%2Fnews-story%2F7ec5fecda60b5a839b958decfe05f957&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE&V21spcbehaviour=append&nk=10fc24e8df3cec35599142367b446702-1714116206
- ^ "The most brutal poll result for a Qld premier in a decade". Retrieved 15 May 2024.
- ^ Cosoleto, Tara (26 March 2023). "LNP names candidates 18 months out from Queensland poll". Brisbane Times. AAP. Retrieved 27 March 2023.
- ^ McCarthy, Isaac (6 October 2023). "Katters announce Malanda man, ex-SAS soldier Bruce Logan as Cook candidate". Cairns Post. Retrieved 19 October 2023.
- ^ https://www.couriermail.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=CMWEB_WRE170_a_GGL&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.couriermail.com.au%2Fnews%2Fqueensland%2Fstate-election%2Fone-nation-to-preference-lnp-at-queensland-state-election-in-october-despite-pauline-hansons-distrust-of-david-crisafulli%2Fnews-story%2F696ea31c756fb37531a6e9a0455a6a66&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=GROUPA-Segment-1-NOSCORE
- ^ Elks, Sarah (11 October 2023). "Stirling Hinchliffe calls it quits after 17 years to 'put family first'". The Australian. Retrieved 15 October 2023.
- ^ Johnson, Hayden (13 November 2023). "Premier to lose another Labor MP at 2024 poll". The Courier-Mail. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
- ^ McKenna, Kate (22 February 2024). "Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D'Ath to quit politics at the end of the year". ABC News. Retrieved 22 February 2024.
- ^ McCormack, Madura (16 June 2023). "Oodgeroo MP Mark Robinson confirms retirement at next election, paving way for Amanda Stoker's political comeback". Courier Mail. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ McCormack, Madura (6 September 2023). "LNP MP for Burleigh Michael Hart won't recontest 2024 state election". Courier Mail. Retrieved 12 September 2023.
- ^ Gall, Sally (18 October 2023). "Gregory MP calls time on representing largest electorate in Queensland". Queensland Country Life. Retrieved 21 October 2023.