After Labor seized power in the Federal Government Election on Saturday Wide Bay incumbent and several candidates recapped on the campaign experience and wide-ranging views for the future.
Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien returned to his seat on Monday, saying he was honoured to be chosen by the people of Wide Bay to represent them in Parliament and now, as a member of the Opposition, he aimed to keep a close eye on the government and ensure commitments made previously were upheld.
“I’ve held my own side to account and I will do the same with this government,“ he said.
“I’m excited for the challenges that lie ahead. I’m a member of a party and have been a member of government. It’s all about being a local member.
“I wish this government all the best.“
Mr O’Brien said the people of Australia had spoken but the Labor government’s role was to serve all the people.
“My focus is not getting in the way but keeping an eye on the projects committed to and budgeted for by the previous government,“ he said.
“Locally, Wide Bay only took a 1.7 per cent swing away from LNP, a far less swing than other seats, so I think my style of advocacy and representation has been acknowledged in that sense.
“Across the nation, many others wanted a change.“
Mr O’Brien said he was happy to remain a local member but would do whatever was asked of him if his party invited him to take on a more senior role.
“It’s not my style to go climbing over other people to get a promotion. I’m a local member – that’s what I’m focused on.
“The dust has to settle first. All these things have to be sorted out.“
Mr O’Brien said all National Party members had kept their seats. He praised their leader Barnaby Joyce for doing a good job and expected he would retain his leadership position.
On a replacement for Scott Morrison, Mr O’Brien said there were a lot of good people in the Liberal Party and as a proud Queenslander, he would be pleased to see Peter Dutton lead the party.
Mr O’Brien said his first task after the election was to thank the many supporters who had helped during the campaign.
Then he planned to gain an update on committed projects including the Tiaro bypass, Katie Rose Cottage Hospice extension and Tewantin Noosa Golf Club work.
Labor candidate Geoff Williams said his party had gained the result nationally that it was hoping for, and “that’s all that counts. It’s the whole that counts,“ he said.
“Wide Bay is a hard one to turn to Labor. We managed to get a bit extra and that counts.“
Mr Williams believes the overall losses to United Australia Party and One Nation, despite them having candidates in all seats, was a sign that people were “starting to realise that the far right view isn’t what we’re about“.
“Overall they went backwards,“ he said.
“We’re for looking after everyone. I think the next three years will be very good for Australia.“
Mr Williams hasn’t ruled out running again for Labor with his preference for federal government but representing the party at the next state government election in the seat of Gympie was a possibility.
One Nation candidate Nathan Buckley who polled in third place with just over 10 per cent of the vote believes the next three years will be “disastrous“ with a Labor government delivering communism.
“That’s how people vote, they get what they get,“ he said.
Mr Buckley said the election campaign had been a learning experience but he was critical of his own party for its poor outcome, lack of support and for shutting his access to his One Nation Facebook site and restricting his ability to engage with the public.
“On average, the local One Nation candidate did quite poorly. I was hoping to get double the result,“ he said. “I was confident there would be a lot of support from One Nation party but we had maybe a handful of volunteers.“
Mr Buckley said candidates had to fund their own corflutes and many had spent a lot of money, and while he would get most of it back, many would not.
He was incensed that party headquarters had blocked his access to his party Facebook site.
“One Nation headquarters censored me. They blocked my access to Facebook before pre-polling.
“I couldn’t get my message out to the electorate. They talk about freedom of speech and then go and censor their own candidates.“
Mr Buckley said he would not be standing for One Nation Party again.
Independent Kelli Jacobi who gained 4.3 per cent of the Wide Bay vote was also concerned for the future of Australia but was not surprised one of the two major parties was returned to power.
Ms Jacobi’s main concern is a corrupt system of government she believes stems from the federal level that without repair will continue to trickle down to lower levels.
She hoped the independents and minor parties have helped get the message of government corruption out but despairs that the population largely don’t want to know about it.
Greens candidate Craig Johnson said the election showed people wanted a change and he was very pleased with the outcome for the Greens, particularly in Brisbane where they look likely to take three seats, though less so in Wide Bay where votes of about 9 per cent were slightly less than in 2019.
“The coalition weren’t focused on the community,“ he said.
“Never, at any stage, did they demonstrate improvements in public services. The outcome is a reflection of that and the country is relieved.“
Mr Johnson said his full time job restricted his ability to engage as much as he would have liked with the community during the campaign.
He believes it was the face to face door knocking the Greens conducted in Brisbane that won them the seats in Griffith, Ryan and perhaps Brisbane, though still undecided.
“It’s a template for future success. It’s been a spectacular result for Greens,“ he said.
