All over the media last night and this morning was the term “snap election.” From the UK to the US and even here, snap election dominated the headline or first copy sentence. This saw me wondering: ‘Is there really such a thing as a snap election these days?’
Politicians and their respective parties start campaigning before Antony Green has finished showing his election night graphs on the ABC.
I agree that this election campaign period is a tad fast for my liking. Seriously how much can you understand of these new/expanded policies in mere three weeks? But, it isn’t as though this election caught the LNP on the back foot.
I don’t know about anyone else, but on the way to work I see one huge billboard with Lawrence Springborg looking to the left at one of the two candidates he is huxting for, and on the way home I see two more, with the same picture of Dr Springborg but looking in the other direction*. These have been up since the beginning of February, so the LNP certainly were getting their dance shoes shiny in preparation for an election.
Certainly the power in calling an early election lies with the incumbent party, and statistically a win is on their side – however Anna Bligh has some not so strong odds on becoming Australia’s first ‘elected’ female Premier.
We also have to factor in the fact that Queensland has been Labour for eleven years. When Peter Beatie retired, Anna Bligh inherited a less than meritorious state and now faces a very rough period ahead with the rest of Australia and the world. So retaliatory voting must also be taken into account. But then we have Dr Springborg, who has failed to lead his previous party to victory two times, and now leads a new party in opposition. Dr Springborg’s media profile has been far from stellar and am pushed to remember him adding value, just loudly dissenting the Labour Government since the LNP was formed.
With one Labour member of parliament retiring, and the world as it is, it opens a whole new ball game. Yes it is only one seat, and the LNP need 21 more, but there are many tight seats that, with enough dissent, dissatisfaction and distrust riding off the world economic S.N.A.F.U, might just be enough to get them over the line.
So enough with the snap election mantra. Timing works for both sides this go around.
*Dr Springborg – would it have killed you to take a few more pictures so you aren’t just reversed? Any kid with a computer could have made your billboards, but at least you didn’t outsource your website to Victoria.
Taezar resides in Brisbane Central and has strong Labour leanings – odd considering she grew up at National Party fundraisers, more often than not organised by her parents on the Gold Coast in the 70’s.
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personally, the shorter the campaign the better – the less i have to hear and see politicians of any persuasion the happier i am!
at least there is one state where the ALP are likely to win an election – there wont be too many others in the next round of elections.
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