Labor faithful look on the bright side at their campaign launch, despite the odds
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Version 0 of 1. For a party almost certainly destined for defeat at the Queensland ballot box, Labor are awfully cheery. Two years ago the caucus could fit into a Tarago, so the often repeated joke went, though they have now outgrown it, getting from seven to nine MPs thanks to two by-elections. Perhaps because of this, and not in spite of it, the ALP launch on Tuesday was a jubilant affair, with supporters seeming genuinely delighted to be in the Labor heartland of Ipswich. Labor heartland is code for “full of people who usually vote for us” – it was a minor detail to the devoted that their heartland’s state member at the moment is from the LNP. The polls have Labor and the LNP neck and neck, which seemed less likely than Kevin Rudd lining up to get his copy of My Story signed by Julia Gillard three years ago, when the LNP swept to power on a superNewman swing to take 78 of the 89 seats in parliament. It is still almost certain the LNP will retain government, but that did not stop the 500 or so true believers behaving as though they had scored first-class tickets on the Titanic with lastminute.com.au, as they stomped and cheered their way through an hour of Bill Shorten and Annastacia Palaszczuk. At the last election Labor’s signature red was hidden away, as candidates tried to downplay their Labor-ness by choosing colours such as pink. But now it is back in full force, with the room decked out in T-shirts proudly declaring their allegiance. Palaszczuk, a minister in the former Bligh government, seemed jubilant simply on the grounds that the public was finally turning its anger in a new direction. “I recognise that for many Queenslanders this might be the first time in nearly three years you’ve been prepared to listen to an argument to vote Labor again. I get that,” she said, almost gleefully. The leader of the opposition on Brisbane council, Milton Dick, was generous with his maths, congratulating Palaszczuk on almost doubling the number of Labor members in parliament since the election. At the LNP’s 2012 launch, the supporters’ cheering could barely be hushed to hear the speeches from then opposition leaders Tony Abbott and Newman. The base, on the verge of being freed from 14 years in the wilderness of opposition, was ecstatic. Sunday was a much more muted affair. In contrast, as Labor march towards perhaps only two terms in opposition, rather than the minimal three everyone was convinced of in 2012, likely defeat feels a lot like victory. |