While Labor's election victory has been celebrated in parts of the country, regional Queensland remains Coalition heartland.
Labor does not hold a single seat north of Blair, just south of Noosa, with the LNP retaining 70 per cent of federal seats in Queensland, leaving many in the agriculture and mining sectors worried the inner-city electorates' embrace of the Greens could deepen the regional divide between city and country.
George Scott is grazier on Thylungra Station in south-west Queensland and said support forthe Greens in the south-east was a surprise.
"It's certainly something that gives me concern in terms of where agriculture aligns itself and where we sit and the bigger picture," Mr Scott said.
"We certainly feel that at times we're taking an unfair level of responsibility for emissions in Australia, particularly cattle, but a lot of agriculture seems to be an easy whipping boy for climate change.
"A lot of that is undeserved and uneducated to an extent."
He said agricultural voters were mostly loyal to the LNP, but Labor's election win and changing attitudes in the south-east were reasons for him to self-reflect on his own beliefs and where they align.
"We're generally a very, very loyal voting bloc, therefore, one side takes us for granted, and the other side takes no interest because nothing much is going to change how we vote.
"So I think our rural seats and agriculture, in general, suffers from that.
"It's a time for us, and me personally to consider whether or not where we are becoming too disconnected.
"The majority of public opinion seems to be moving further away from us as participants in society we have to consider where we're sitting and why we're there and whether or not we actually do need to adapt."
Queensland Labor Senator Murray Watt said the partymade a real effort after the 2019 election to reconnect with regional Queensland, and believed swings away from the LNP this time were the result of that.
"We spent a lot of time out there listening to people, meeting with different groups to understand why people reacted so badly against us in 2019," he said.
"We put forward a lot of really strong policies about new industries, how we could create jobs, how we could maintain our traditional industries and importantly how we could continue to improve health serviceswhich is such a big issue in regional Queensland.
"I think it's a matter of continuing to engage really strongly, spending lots of time in our regions, making those connections, continuing to understand the issues that people confront."
Mr Watt said the election resultsshowedthecity-country divide was closing.
"We're coming more to the centre in Queensland than where we were three years ago.
"I think after the last election there was a really massive divide between the city and the bush in Queensland...but as I say this time those margins have come in a lot more.
He said although the Greens have been elected to the House of Representatives for the first time in Queensland at this election, "overall I think that the results are much more coming towards the middle".
"Even in Albo's victory speech on Saturday night he made a real point that he wanted to be a prime minster that brings people together.
"He's someone who will try and bridge any divides between the regions and the cities."
For Clermont pharmacist Grant Oswald, Labor's win made him nervous for the future of the mining town he serves.
He said he believedthe regional divide would deepen unless the new government made a conscious effort to work with regional communities.
"As much as I agree that we need to do something about climate change and everything like that, we also still need to protect our industries and our jobs, and our regional towns," Mr Oswald said.
He said people in cities needed to understand the needs oftowns like Clermont.
"Talking to a few people in the shop yesterday we wish we could get those people up here to the bush and actually see what we do up here, what the agriculture industry means to us and of course, what the mining industry does too and what they do for our little towns up this way.
"We really need to see them, get up here, get out in the bush and don't just forget that, that we're here."
Central Queensland farmer Richard Fairley was also concerned aboutthe new government's transition to renewables, which will include a 43 per cent reduction in emissions by 2030, will be too fast and hurt regional Queensland.
"Don't get me wrong, there's nothing wrong with caring for the environment, but drastic movement and getting away with it is going to hurt a lot of people," Mr Fairley said.
"I think I'll be one of them."
Mr Fairley's property near Biloela lies in the electorate of Flynn, which was narrowly won by the LNP's Colin Boyce after incumbent Ken O'Dowd retired from the party after 12 years.
Flynn is rich in agriculture and mining and is home to the coal-fired Callide Power Station, a major employer in Biloela.
"I'm glad we can still have our voice heard in parliament [through the local LNP member] and they will look after mining jobs, power station jobs as much as they can but I think unfortunately the green movement is going to do a lot of harm in the economy and general businesses."
Mr Fairley said Labor needed to do more to address industry needs like dam infrastructure, labour shortages as well as improving energy security.
CQ University political commentator Jacob Deem said there was the potential for the increase in progressive votes in the south-east to widen the city-country divide.
"In terms of these regional seats being held by Coalition members, I think that there will need to be greater engagement with the regions and in particular, as we transition to renewables," Dr Deem said.
"There isa lot of opportunity for these areas in central Queensland to take a leading role in that, but it's important that [Mr] Albanese takes a consultative approach moving forward."
Greenscandidate Penny Allman-Payne is likely to win a seat in Queensland's senate.
The Gladstone-based teacher said she will keep her office in the industrial port city.
"I travelled around Queensland, including north Queensland and central Queensland talking to people about our plan for the transition," Ms Allman-Payne said.
"I spoke to workers on pre-poll in Townsville and Gladstone and when they actually heard what our plan was to look after coal workers for the next decade, to make sure we are investing in green metals, manufacturing and other renewable energy industries and they actually really liked what they heard."
Posted9h ago9 hours agoTue 24 May 2022 at 10:37pm, updated7h ago7 hours agoWed 25 May 2022 at 12:30am
Continue reading here:
- Have the Liberal Arts Gone Conservative? - The New Yorker - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Letters to the Editor: 'I see myself in Katie Britt' what liberal critics missed in the senator's response - Los Angeles Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Even when it criticizes Israel, the liberal world is not against us - opinion - The Jerusalem Post - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Former Trump Aide Alyssa Farah Griffin Becomes a Liberal Favorite - The New York Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Renowned author, liberal arts proponent to deliver annual Lester Lectures - Mercer University - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- NYU to Host Zaheer Ali at the Annual Liberal Studies Student Research ColloquiumApril 5 - NYU - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Power to the Neighborhoods!: New York City Growth Politics, Neighborhood Liberalism, and the Origins of the ... - Joint Center for Housing Studies - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Canada's Conservatives back NDP-Liberal anti-scab legislation that undermines the right to strike - WSWS - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- The Surprising Left-Right Alliance That Wants More Apartments in Suburbs - The New York Times - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- PARKER: Clarence Thomas, liberal racism and the ongoing denigration of Black conservatives - Kankakee Daily Journal - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Media Scream: Hollywoods freaks over Trump - Washington Examiner - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Why liberals failed in the fight against antisemitism - JNS.org - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Renew manifesto sneak peek and bits from Bucharest congress - EURACTIV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Katie Britt calls on liberal media 'to pay attention' to border - 1819 News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal truck wash cited $171k for OSHA violations - KSN-TV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Over 30,000 Killed in Gaza, but Even Israel's 'Liberal Left' Says: That's War - Opinion - Haaretz - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Man Injured in Beaver County Accident - KSCB News.net - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- What is the Market's View on China Liberal Education Holdings Ltd (CLEU) Stock's Price and Volume Trends Monday? - InvestorsObserver - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- German liberals send defence expert into tripartite EU election leadership team - EURACTIV - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Ramaswamy warns liberal justices 'buying political latitude' with 9-0 ruling as more Trump cases lie ahead - Fox News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- How much of this is propelled by white liberal guilt from executives?: Gutfeld - Fox News - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberals and the Libel of Christian Nationalism - The Imaginative Conservative - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Arts & Science Academy - Austin extends home winning streak to seven - MaxPreps - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Liberal Racism and the Denigration of Black Conservatives - Daily Signal - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- Watchdog group exposes radical, liberal ideology of school-based health centers - The Lion - March 12th, 2024 [March 12th, 2024]
- What happens when a liberal learns her family owned slaves? - Leader & Times - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Is it Liberal Arts, Without the Arts? - Xavier Newswire - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Quebec Liberal Party would be more popular with Denis Coderre at the helm: poll - Montreal Gazette - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Maine's Liberal Members of Congress Stand by Biden After Disastrous, Confused Press Conference - The Maine Wire - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Liberal Media Scream: Kristen Welker likes to lecture Republicans, too - Washington Examiner - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Australia's only Liberal government lives on - for now - Yahoo News Australia - February 11th, 2024 [February 11th, 2024]
- Liberal institutions are the threat to liberal institutions Claudine Gay is warning about - Washington Examiner - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Elon Musk, the "free speech absolutist" kicks liberal journalists off Twitter - Daily Kos - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Liberal Arts and studies in humanities under attack on college campuses - The Community Word - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Liberal candidate for federal byelection planned to run for Conservatives last year - National Post - January 10th, 2024 [January 10th, 2024]
- Bill Barton: 'The Liberal by the Bay' - Redheaded Blackbelt - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- OPINION | Female-dominated liberal arts imperative in male-dominated tech world - Tulane Hullabaloo - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Dean of the College of Liberal and Fine Arts job with Tarleton State University | 37572379 - The Chronicle of Higher Education - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Laughing Stock: 'A liberal agenda' may not be what you think - Tucson Weekly - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Justin Trudeau plays the Trump card - POLITICO - POLITICO - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, Producer Of TV's 'All In The Family' And Influential Liberal Advocate, Dies At 101 - Newstalk 750 - 103.7 ... - KFQD - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Kremlin Taps Liberal Businessman to Oppose Putin in 2024 Election Report - The Moscow Times - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - WV News - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- MoveOn Carries Out Layoffs as Liberal Groups Struggle to Raise Money - The New York Times - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - El Paso Inc. - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- UW System President suggests universities with high numbers of low income students should shift away from liberal arts - Wisconsin Examiner - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Norman Lear, producer of TV's 'All in the Family' and influential liberal advocate, has died at 101 - The Caledonian-Record - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Israels representative in New York resigned to protest Netanyahu. Now hes got some tough words for liberal New York Jews. - Forward - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- Neal Milner: Watch That Swinging Door, Liberals, Lest It Hit You On The Way Out - Honolulu Civil Beat - December 7th, 2023 [December 7th, 2023]
- The Liberal Answer to Cancel Culture - Manhattan Institute - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Study: Liberal US priests facing 'progressive' extinction - The Pillar - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Jewish U.S. Groups Are Walking an Oh-So-Thin Tightrope - The New Republic - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Why a liberal arts degree is often a ticket to career success - USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Open Forum: In their time, founding fathers were liberal - The Winchester Star - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberals announce National Campaign Committee Co-Chairs - Liberal Party of Canada - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- UT College of Liberal Arts hosts panel about Senate Bill 17 - The Daily Texan - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Arts student uses platform to educate others on the ... - Pennsylvania State University - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Stanford celebrates 50 years of Structured Liberal Education ... - Stanford University News - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Brookline homes: One wealthy liberal town reckons with its past - The Boston Globe - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- The Value of a Liberal Arts Degree: Whats the Return on Investment? - The New York Times - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- California Police Say Investigation Ongoing into Death of Liberal Pro ... - Crime Report - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Liberal Arts, IST student scores sports technology internship with ... - Pennsylvania State University - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- And the award for the worst Liberal Party leader goes to... - The New Daily - November 8th, 2023 [November 8th, 2023]
- Street fights over prayer offer liberal Israelis a chance to define a Judaism they can believe in - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Unmasking Hinduphobic Cartoons: The Liberal Media's Double Standard - The Jaipur Dialogues - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- UC presents lecture on liberal arts featuring Michael W. Twitty - University of Cincinnati - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- ISU makes progress on liberal arts cuts through incentivized ... - The Gazette - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Investing in the future of the liberal arts | Binghamton News - Binghamton - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Challenges to Liberal Democracy on Global Scale Is Topic of 2023 ... - University of Idaho - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Liberal Democrats edge ahead of Labour on charging, with free ... - Disability News Service - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- Kerry Washington Creates $1 Million Earl and Valerie Washington ... - GW Today - September 29th, 2023 [September 29th, 2023]
- LILLEY: Justice Rouleau may have old Liberal Party ties but he's not Justin Trudeau's uncle or related at all - Toronto Sun - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Brian Lilley: Justice Rouleau may have old Liberal Party ties but he's not Justin Trudeau's uncle or related at all - The Province - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- force.com - November 27th, 2022 [November 27th, 2022]
- Liberal Party SA - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Liberal Fascism: The Secret History of the American Left, From ... - November 25th, 2022 [November 25th, 2022]
- Ex-VP Hamid Ansari's 'Challenges to a liberal polity' book review: The politics of being Indian - The New Indian Express - November 7th, 2022 [November 7th, 2022]
- English | Liberal Arts | UT - Austin - November 5th, 2022 [November 5th, 2022]
- Liberal values are absolute - The Tribune India - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Fixing another liberal tax burden - The Hill - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]