By Jeremy Sollars
The man with the most realistic chance of causing an upset in the seat of Southern Downs this Saturday says if he wins as an Independent and there’s a hung parliament scenario he’ll “sit down” with both major parties and hammer out the best deal for the region.
With the very real prospect of neither Annastacia Palaszczuk’s ALP or Tim Nicholls’ LNP gaining a working majority after this weekend’s Queensland election, the spectre of a hung parliament in the Sunshine State has reared its head once again.
And if that’s the outcome, Independent candidate for Southern Downs Rob Mackenzie could find himself and other Independents at the centre of negotiations over forming a new government in Queensland – if he were to get over the line.
On paper our own seat of Southern Downs appears rock-solid LNP, with their candidate James Lister at least theoretically the most likely to head to George Street in Brisbane as our next MP, replacing LNP veteran Lawrence Springborg who is retiring from state politics.
The LNP held Southern Downs by what would seem to be a bulletproof margin of 19.2 per cent at the 2015 election, and a Lister win seems all but inevitable.
At least on paper.
But born-and-bred Goondiwindi local and councillor Rob Mackenzie has been campaigning with an energy normally seen in the most marginal of city electorates, and the word on the street is he could cause an upset.
The Free Times understands Mr Mackenzie – a former LNP member who quit the party after they declined to endorse him as their local candidate – has the backing of many formerly-staunch LNP voters in Southern Downs, including some currently-financial local LNP branch members.
Those LNP stalwarts are understood to be unhappy with James Lister’s endorsement as the party’s candidate, on the basis he is not a long-term local – having previously been an RAAF officer based at Amberley – and having been, to use their words perhaps ironically, “parachuted” into the ‘safe’ seat of Southern Downs by the party machine.
Mr Mackenzie this week considered the hypothetical scenario of being one of a handful of Queensland independents in a new parliament faced with deciding which of the major parties to support, in order to give them a working parliamentary majority.
“I can’t answer that at this point,” he told the Free Times.
“If that were to happen – and I’m not gilding the lily – I’d be wanting to sit down with both of the major parties and have a good conversation about what’s in it for Southern Downs, if I were to support them.
“Obviously I am conservative by nature but would be more than willing to work with Labor to ensure the best deal for this electorate.”
Mr Mackenzie is swapping preferences at this weekend’s election with One Nation’s Josh Coyne, the only other locally-born Southern Downs candidate.
He said he plans to start election day by handing out how-to-vote cards at Talwood and then “working my way east”.
He’s planning to get back to Goondiwindi around 7.30pm on election night and have “a quiet night with the family”, awaiting the local result – and his political fate.
