There are very many good reasons for voters to vote out the Bligh Labour Government. This is reflected in an opinion poll published in today's Courier Mail which shows that 57% believe that Labor Does not deserve to win. However 57% of voters also don't believe that Lawrence Springborg's Liberal National Party deserves to win either.
The ideal election result would be for all but of few of the current sitting members be voted out and the new Queensland be made up of an overwhelming majority of Independents and Greens. Given the dissatisfaction with the major parties, we should at least be able to hope to get a hung parliaments. however, the media censorship of the independent and Greens candidates means that this likelihood is reduced and we stand a good chance of having an LNP Government with an outright majority. Should we fear this more than the re-election of a Bligh Government?
To put my own cards on the table, I have always put Labor ahead of Liberal (or, in Queensland the Liberal National Party) in my ordering of preferencing and had expected to do so again this time.
In the last few days my resolve to give my own two-party preferred vote to Labor (but only after having voted for myself, then Dave Zwolenski (independent), then Larissa Waters (Green) ) has firmed up.
One reason for this is that Lawrence Springborg seems to be shaping up as an old fashioned fiscal conservative as we approach a serious economic crisis. That means, he will be tightening the government purse strings and claim to rely on 'stimulation' of the private sector to provide the extra necessary employment. Past experience shows that this will almost lead to greater joblessness and abject poverty than would otherwise be the case. The very best we can hope in the public service is for employment opportunities to be lost in the Queensland public service and the work load on those remaining to be increased.
However, if upon winning Government, Lawrence Springborg suddenly 'discovers' that the cupboard is bare, outright sackings of public servants could not be ruled out. Indeed, the new Liberal National Government in Western Australia has recently sacked 5,000 public servants outright.
Also Lawrence Springboard is slightly less ambiguous than the Labor Government on the question of further privatisation. He has 'no objection' to privatisation and plans to set up a special fund to manage the proceeds of any (hypothetical) privatisation, whereas Labor Treasurer Andrew Fraser, who since the start of last year sold off Mackay and Cairns airports and our remaining half stake in Brisbane airport with the full support of Lawrence Springborg, claims merely not to be ideologically in favour of privatisation.
All things considered, it looks as if Lawrence Springboard will lead us all to Hell somewhat faster than a Bligh Government would. Because therefore we stand slightly more chance of turning around before we reach Hell in the latter case I will be preferencing Labor ahead of the Liberal National Party and hoping for a hung Parliament.
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