Queensland election 2009

• Mark Rodrigues
• Parliamentary Library

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10 June 2009This research paper analyses the 2009 Queensland state election held in March and argues that the election result demonstrates that in the current economic climate, a government can still be re-elected.

• The 2009 Queensland state election, held six months early on Saturday 21 March 2009, was announced on YouTube by Labor Premier Anna Bligh. 

• In order to defeat the 11 year old Government, the newly merged Liberal National Party (LNP) lead by Lawrence Springborg, required a substantial swing of 8.3 per cent to gain an additional 20 seats. 

• This was the first election in Australia since the onset of the global economic downturn. Jobs and management of the economy were dominant themes in the election campaign. New electoral boundaries and three tropical cyclones also framed the context for the election.

• Under the banner of ‘Keep Queensland strong’, Labor primarily campaigned on creating 100 000 new jobs, maintaining its record spending on infrastructure and developing a football stadium on the Gold Coast.

• The LNP campaigned on ‘Change for a better Queensland’ and proposed to apply a three per cent funding cut to public sector spending, maintain two children’s hospitals in Brisbane, and implement a $726.9 million infrastructure investment program.

• Pre-election polling indicated a tight finish with the LNP ahead 51–49 on a two-party preferred basis. However, despite a 4.7 per cent (first preference) swing against Labor, the Government was returned with 51 of the 89 seats. Bligh became the first female to be elected Premier in Australia.

• While failing to win the election, the LNP substantially increased the parliamentary representation of the two parties from which it was formed, from 25 to 34 seats, in its first electoral test. The LNP now requires a more modest swing of 4.2 per cent to win government at the next election.

• The election result demonstrates that in the current economic climate, a government can still be re-elected despite running a budget deficit resulting from a large spending program.