Queensland Labor is at risk of losing the state seat in a blow to new Labor premier Steven Miles months after the October general election.
Labor was expected to hold on to the safe seats of Inala and Ipswich West, which were vacated by former premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Jim Madden.
LNP candidate Darren Zanow looked set to win the Ipswich West by-election on Saturday night after his Labor opponent Wendy Bourne had a 15.2 per cent swing against her. Labor has held the seat for 19 out of 22 elections since 1960.
Polls have now closed in Queensland, where millions voted in local council elections and by-elections for two state seats in the first election test for new Premier Steven Miles.
It was better news in Inala, held by Palaszczuk before her resignation, where Labour’s Margie Nightingale had a 30 per cent swing against her with 31.5 per cent of the vote and LNP rival Trang Yen booked a 10.9 per cent swing to her advantage.
Ms Yen’s swing is unlikely to be enough to wrest the deep red Labor seat and Ms Nightingale is likely to replace Ms Palaszczuk as the next member for Inala, currently leading with 37.4 per cent of the first preference vote .
Votes for Queensland council elections and two state by-elections on Saturday are set to see Labor hold a crucial seat but lose another
LNP candidate for Ipswich West Darren Zanow looks set to snap the long-held Labor seat in what will be a wake-up call for Premier Miles
Labour’s Margie Nightingale had a 30 per cent swing against her in Inala, but still looks set to win Annastacia Palaszczuk’s old seat
Sir. Miles was out on Saturday endorsing his candidates in both seats but expects to suffer a swing towards Labour.
It is the first election test for Mr Miles, who succeeded Ms Palaszczuk at the end of last year after he suddenly stepped down ahead of the October 26 state election.
LNP state leader David Crisafulli was also out at hustings in Inala and Ipswich West on Saturday.
In Inala, LNP candidate Darren Zanow had to overcome a 14.3 per cent margin to claim victory in the Labor stronghold.
The LNP and One Nation had preferred each other on their how to vote cards.
There was also voting in elections for all 77 local councils on Saturday.
Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is expected to keep his job, but there are predictions of a ‘green slide’, with the minor party expected to scoop up several of the 26 wards on the Brisbane City Council.
Tom Tate is also expected to get another term as mayor of the Gold Coast, while former Liberal MP Andrew Laming is running for mayor of Redland City.
Nightingale’s opponent Trang Yen was hoping for an upset, although it looked unlikely late on Saturday night
Millions of Queenslanders voted on Saturday (pictured: residents queuing at Coorparoo State School during the election)
Andrew Laming at Cleveland State School in Moreton Bay during the election
Fifteen councils have mayors running incessantly, including former state LNP leader Lawrence Springborg in Goondiwindi. A further 21 councils are getting new mayors following the retirements of incumbents.
Another former federal MP, George Christenson, is running for a council job in the central Queensland city of Mackay.
Meanwhile, there have been complaints of long queues at a number of polling stations across the state.
An ECQ spokesman said most queue times were ’15 minutes or less’.
“Our team has confirmed that we were required to refill ballots at two polling stations this afternoon and that ballots were delivered safely before stock was depleted at a small number of other booths,” the spokesman said.
‘Staffing is allocated to each booth according to expected turnout, which is analyzed using data from recent Queensland and federal elections.’
Annastacia Palaszczuk has offered the woman she hopes will replace her the ‘same advice my dad gave me’ when she cast her by-election ballot.
The former prime minister made a rare public appearance on Saturday afternoon at the polls with Labor candidate Margie Nightingale, saying the day was about ‘new beginnings’.
‘I’m going to give her the same advice my dad gave me and that is: whoever comes through your door always comes there for a reason and to treat everyone with respect and to make sure you really listen, because they’ve come to you for help,’ she told ABC.
“So if Margie does that, she will be a very, very good local member.”
A blonde Annastacia Palaaszczuk made a rare public appearance since stepping down from the state’s top job
Palaszczuk retired from politics on her own terms late last year after months of speculation about her leadership.
Saturday’s by-election will be the first time in over 30 years that Inala is not held by someone with the surname Palaszczuk.
The seat was held by her father, Henry, since it was created in 1992. She inherited it when she entered the political arena in 2006.
Ms Nightingale, a former teacher, said she would focus on ‘progress’ if she wins.
“I’m going to look at doing it and I understand what this community needs and I’m ready to listen and I’m really ready to do the hard work,” the hopeful told ABC.
Ms Palaszczuk was not the only high-profile visitor to the campaign trail.
Ms Nightingale was also joined by Treasurer Cameron Dick and Premier Steven Miles at the hustings.
The pair laughed as they posed for pictures with dog Noodles outside Inala State School.
The battle for Inala, which Labor has a margin of 28.2 per cent, is just one of two by-elections to be held in Queensland on Saturday.
Both Inala and Ipswich West – which was prompted after Labour’s Jim Madden resigned to stand for the local council – are deep in the traditional Labor heartland.
Ipswich West is owned by Labor with a margin of 14.2 per cent.
Steven Miles helped Mrs Nightingale win over last-minute voters with Noodles the dog
Both results are expected to a large extent as an early measure of where the voters sit ahead of the general election in October.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said a swing in the two by-elections would not necessarily spell the beginning of the end for Mr Miles.
“We will wait and see when the election takes place in October, I expect there will be a swing away from the government in these by the election today,” Mr Albanese said.
“That’s what usually happens in elections, but I think, you know, people will be looking at the LNP in Queensland very closely before October.”
Ahead of polls opening, a Newspoll published by The Australian showed the LNP opposition ahead of Labor 54 to 46 per cent on preferences.
If repeated in the October general election, it would result in a loss of 18 Labor seats – four more than the LNP needs to win a majority.
State Opposition Leader David Crisafulli said issues such as youth crime and waiting times for surgeries and home ownership were high on people’s minds.
“When I look at the challenges facing Queenslanders, I see things like the youth crime crisis that is spiraling out of control, I see things like a health system where people are waiting disproportionately long for surgery and ambulance ramps are out of control.” “Mr Crisafulli told Sky News.
“You have a generation of young Queenslanders who don’t believe they will ever own their home – we have the lowest home ownership rate in the country.
Queensland Opposition Leader David Crisafulli addresses voters on Saturday
Sir. Miles has previously said it would be ‘very, very challenging’ for Labor to be re-elected for a fourth term.
The state is home to Australia’s two largest local councils, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.
Buoyed by their success in the 2022 federal election, the Greens are playing a game for Brisbane City.
LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner is expected to hold on to Brisbane’s top job despite challenges from Labor’s Tracey Price and high-profile Greens councilor Jonathan Sriranganathan.
On the Gold Coast, Tom Tate is expected to be returned as mayor, a position he has held since 2012.
Incumbent councilor Ryan Bayldon-Lumsden is seeking re-election despite a murder charge.
At least 1,010,000 Queenslanders had already cast their ballots ahead of Saturday’s local elections, with about 235,000 of the 440,000 postal votes remaining as of Wednesday.
The Queensland Electoral Commission said 3.65 million people registered to vote, representing 97.6 per cent of the state’s eligible voters.
About 45 per cent of Queenslanders had voted early at about 170 early voting centers across the country.
The voting booths opened at 8:00 a.m. and the counting begins at 6:00 p.m. when the polling stations close.