Source : the age
Stephen is still weighing up his options in the key Brisbane seat of Griffith.
“I believe we need nuclear power … at one point I was thinking of voting for the Liberals because of that, But I’ve never liked Peter Dutton,” he says on an afternoon walk with his dog.
The Stones Corner resident is a doctor of microelectronic engineering and lists cost of living, crime, employment opportunities and energy among his primary concerns.
Stephen is yet to decide his vote and supports some of the Liberal platform, but believes Max Chandler-Mather has been a “highly engaged” representative for his community. Credit: William Davis
“I’ll probably end up voting Green because Max [Chandler-Mather] actually speaks out against different things.
“I’ve spoken to Max a few times … [at his] community barbecues. It’s typically vegan food which isn’t awesome, but at least it gives me opportunities to see him.”
He’s one of many voters in the inner-city seat who say they’re not rusted on to one of the two major parties.
Corflute posters on a home in Stones Corner, in the key Brisbane electorate of Griffith.Credit: William Davis
Griffith was held by Labor for almost a quarter of a century – with former PM Kevin Rudd serving 15 years – before the “Greenslide” of 2022 where Chandler-Mather won the seat, joining fellow Brisbane Greens Elizabeth Watson-Brown and Stephen Bates in Canberra.
It was briefly held by the Liberals in the late ’90s for the first time since 1977.
The renter- and apartment-dominated suburbs of West End, Kangaroo Point, South Brisbane and Woolloongabba fall within the boundaries, as does a mortgage-heavy belt spanning Bulimba, Norman Park, Carina, Camp Hill, Holland Park and Coorparoo.
Boundary Street in West End, where renters constitute a significant proportion of voters. Credit: Felicity Caldwell
“It’s not a uniform electorate,” associate professor of politics and journalism at Griffith University, Dr Paul Williams, says.
“You’ve got younger people who are renting and find it very difficult to make ends meet, you’ve got older money in places like Camp Hill.
“I call it a post-material seat … It’s a well-flushed seat, and even those who aren’t flushed will have progressive values.”
He believes Labor is in with a real shot of clawing the electorate back.
“Max is still the favourite, but anything could happen.
“If the Liberals run third and Labor’s primary vote is high enough to be competitive with the Greens, Labor will be elected.
“There could be 100 votes in it.”
The median Griffith voter is 34-years-old, and has a median weekly household income of $2187.
Others who spoke to this masthead listed rent hikes, inflation, the environment, government transparency, local development and immigration as their key concerns.
Chandler-Mather has been a firebrand for the Greens since winning the seat, and is one of its best known figures as spokesperson for housing.
The 33-year-old formerly worked as a trade union organiser and studied Indonesian history at university.
“If we are going to tackle climate change, if we are going to tackle housing, if we are going to tackle … development in this area then it is going to take a movement of people that comes from the grassroots up,” he said at a community debate hosted by the West End Community Association this past week.
Greens’ Max Chandler-Mather and People First candidate Deon Hunt at the West End community forum in Jagera Hall near Southbank. Empty chairs were left for Griffith candidates who didn’t show up.Credit: William Davis
“An entire generation is locked out of being able to buy a home and our city is under strain because developers keep building apartments and provide next to no funding for the public infrastructure that our areas need.”
About 50 residents and a dog named Grover were in attendance at the Wednesday forum.
If they hold the balance of power, the Greens are promising to force a Labor government to increase taxes on multinational companies, include dental and mental health cover in Medicare, increase public housing construction and end approvals for new coal and gas projects.
Renee Coffey of Labor – who lives in Norman Park and most recently served as chief executive of a national youth mental health charity – did not take part in the public forum, telling frustrated organisers she believed the rules were flawed.
She spoke to this masthead independently, outlining her belief the Labor Party is best placed to deliver outcomes for the community.
“I was born here and I grew up here. I’ve lived here almost all my life.
Corflute for Labor’s Renee Coffey in the electorate of Griffith, Brisbane. Credit: William Davis
“I think for people in Griffith, they will be looking at whether their expectations have been met and they’ll be looking really closely at outcomes.
“Especially with all the global uncertainty that’s on at the moment, it’s best for us to stay the course with a really strong leader with a really strong plan.”
Former DJ Dion Hunt is representing the Gerard Rennick People First party, and was the only other candidate to join Chandler-Mather at the forum.
“Why am I here? I don’t even really know, other than we need change,” Hunt said.
“I have no illusions that I’m going to get elected or anything.
“You just have to listen to [Rennick] on TikTok or on Facebook or whatever; he has a mind for the numbers, and he seems to see through the matrix in terms of the corruption that’s going on.”
Liberal candidate Anthony Bishop also chose not to attend the community forum.
Corflute for the LNP’s Anthony Bishop in the electorate of Griffith, Brisbane. Credit: William Davis
“I have spent my life getting complex projects done and working with people around the world to make them happen,” a statement delivered to the event said.
One Nation, Family First and Trumpet of Patriots candidates are filling out the rest of the ballot sheet in Griffith.
