Democracy is alive and well, offering both protests and promises in Brisbane on a sunny winter Sunday afternoon in July.
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In the inner-city there was a rally and protest march around midday from those frustrated about the Abbott Government’s first-ever budget, which is about to be tested in the new-look Senate.
The march stretched an entire city block down Adelaide Street, with protesters chanting “Welfare Cuts: No Way; make the mining bosses pay” and “Our Health Care is Not for Profit”.
Meanwhile, in the inner-north of Brisbane, there was the formal policy launch of the Liberal National Party’s candidate, Bob Andersen, in the Queensland Government’s Stafford by-election on July 19.
Premier Campbell Newman stood with red-haired Bob Andersen in front of a campaign sign that read “Bob Andersen: Give him a red hot go!”
Both political events drew good, well-intentioned crowds, intent on getting their particular message across to a wider audience of future voters.
Brisbane is clearly not Egypt, which a fortnight ago jailed Brisbane-born journalist Peter Greste for a heartbreaking seven years for simply reporting Egyptian politics.
Back in Stafford, the outcome in the Stafford by-election will not change the state government, but polls suggest Premier Campbell Newman’s electoral strength is much weaker in 2014, than in 2012.
It has been triggered by an “man-made disaster” – to use Premier Campbell Newman’s words - when the LNP Stafford MP and former assistant health minister Chris Davis, was dismissed for questioning LNP decisions.
Those decisions included changed electoral donation laws, medical contracts and the structure of the Crime and Misconduct Commission.
A ReachTel phone poll in News Limited’s Sunday Mail shows from a poll of 1900 Queenslanders, almost 40 of Mr Newman’s 73 LNP MPs face losing their electorates if an election was held now.
There are 89 seats in state parliament, with Labor holding just eight, after winning the Redcliffe by-election on February 22.
However LNP quietly believe they can hold Stafford, which Chris Davies won in 2012 with a 7.1 per cent swing.
The Palmer United Party will not stand a candidate in Stafford, though the ReachTel poll shows they are polling over 15 per cent.
Premier Campbell Newman, speaking after Mr Andersen’s campaign launch, accepted the LNP had had “some fights”, one of which saw the LNP’s previous candidate Chris Davis stand down in May.
“We have had a big job over the last two years. We were elected to sort out a mess that Labor created and we have been doing that,” Mr Newman said.
“We have made a lot of tough decisions, a lot of strong decisions, some important decisions,” he said.
“And we have had some fights. But those fights have been about fixing things up for Queenslanders.”
For the first time in a long time, the premier referred to qualities he said he possessed as leader as he discussed the ReachTel poll results, which showed either Labor had recovered or his appeal had slipped.
“I know there has been a bit of focus on me in the past week,” the former Brisbane lord mayor said.
“I’m the guy who got us through the Brisbane floods, The Gap storms in 2008, made sure that the people of Bundaberg were looked after, particularly got those people off those rooftops,” he said.
“That is the sort of strong leadership you get from Campbell Newman.
“And you will continue to get from Campbell Newman - whether it is dealing with disasters that are man-made or natural - man-made of course being the ones that the Labor Party has created.”
Labor is proud of the role that former Labor premier Anna Bligh played in galvanising the state during the 2011 floods.
The LNP meanwhile has already seized on comments from Labor’s candidate Dr Anthony Lyneham that he would continue working as a surgeon if elected on July 19 to maintain his medical registration.
Dr Lyneham needs to work as a facial reconstruction surgeon to keep his registration as a surgeon.
At today’s LNP launch, Labor was described as “lazy”, with Dr Lyneham described as a part-time candidate and a part-time representative for the people of Stafford.
“Really, the choice is stark,” Mr Andersen said.
“You can have a genuine local, who will be a voice in a strong team that delivers for the people of this electorate.
“Or you can have part-time politician who has no plan with nothing to offer.”
Bob Andersen told the Stafford by-election's first candidate’s forum held on Saturday night that he would resign his position as a corrective services psychologist if he won the by-election on July 19.
“Stafford needs a full-time member of parliament, it’s that simple,” he said.
“I have absolutely no plans to continue practising if elected on the 19th, none whatsoever.”
Meanwhile Campbell Newman told today’s Stafford launch that his government was beginning to have an impact at the local level.
He said break and enter crimes had dropped, more than 60,000 jobs had been created in Queensland while elective surgery and dental surgery waiting lists had decreased.
