Former PM Kevin Rudd has ridiculed the state of Queensland politics. Picture: File Source: The Daily Telegraph
FORMER Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has ridiculed the state of Queensland politics as he attended a union rally in Brisbane on Saturday.
"Sometimes Queensland politics gets a little weird. And it's pretty weird right now,'' Mr Rudd told the crowd of about 100 onlookers.
"We've got Clive Palmer, the new face of progressive politics in Queensland now saying that we need to bring back the Bjelke-Petersen dynasty.
"Things are being turned on their head and it gets weirder and weirder as each day goes by.''
Mr Rudd said politicians in Canberra were "scratching their heads'' at the state of Queensland politics.
"This looked like the American civil war in slow motion here in George Street and within the LNP,'' Mr Rudd said of the departure of three LNP backbenchers from the party over a dramatic four days.
"It would all just look like comedy if at the same time it wasn't in fact an unfolding tragedy for the communities which make up our state.''
Meanwhile, Clive Palmer says Queensland's Liberal National Party will cost Tony Abbott the next election if the federal opposition leader doesn't bring it into line.
In his latest tirade against the Newman government, the mining magnate has called on Mr Abbott to intervene.
"It's quite clear the LNP is acting in a most disgraceful manner which will have major repercussions at a federal level unless Tony Abbott shows some leadership," Mr Palmer said in a statement on Sunday.
Clive Palmer's plans for a new political party seem to be gaining momentum.
"Tony Abbott must intervene and clean up the LNP mess or (Prime Minister) Julia Gillard will be re-elected as a result of the disgraceful antics of the Newman government."
But Mr Abbott last week rejected similar claims, saying Premier Campbell Newman and his team were doing an "outstanding job" and facing tough challenges.
Meanwhile, John Bjelke-Petersen, son of former premier Sir Joh, is being lined up as a federal election candidate as the likelihood of billionaire businessman Clive Palmer launching his own political party gathers momentum.
The Sunday Mail has obtained the results of a Galaxy Research poll taken on Tuesday and Wednesday in the seat of Maranoa, which shows that longtime LNP MP Bruce Scott would face a strong challenge from Mr Bjelke-Petersen.
The result will add fuel to the political ambitions of mining magnate Mr Palmer who is expected to decide over the next week or so whether to start a new party following his spectacular split from the LNP.
Records show Mr Palmer's nephew Blair Brewster trademarked the United Australia Party name on September 30 - just days after the billionaire was first threatened with being stripped of his life membership of the LNP. Mr Palmer resigned nine days ago after another showdown with party chiefs.
Polling is already underway to gauge possible support for specific candidates and it indicates Mr Palmer has his eye on federal, as well as state, politics.
In Maranoa, half the 350 people polled said they would be likely to vote for "a party that would unify Australia" and 43 per cent said they would be likely to support Mr Bjelke-Petersen, rising to 45 per cent among LNP voters.
The research was commissioned by "a consortium of businesses".
John Bjelke-Petersen at his Kingaroy property. Picture: Megan Cullen
Mr Scott has held the traditional National Party heartland seat of Maranoa since 1990 and won a 65.5 per cent primary vote (72.0 per cent two-party preferred) at the August 2010 election.
The Galaxy Poll found his primary vote would be cut to 53 per cent if an election was held now, with Katter's Australia Party picking up 15 per cent of votes.
Galaxy Research managing director David Briggs said the entry of another right-leaning party would cut LNP support even further.
- additional reporting by Daryl Passmore and AAP
No comments:
Post a Comment