By Harvey Grennan
The peak local government body in Queensland took the unusual step of endorsing the Liberal National Party just two days before Saturday's poll in the Sunshine State – unwittingly backing the wrong horse.
Such political partisanship has never been shown in NSW even when the peak body here was headed by a known party supporter according to Keith Rhoades, the president of Local Government NSW.
Premier Campbell Newman speaking to media at Newmarket State School on election day, Brisbane. Credit: Renee Melides
"We have never taken a position to support or put our weight behind a political party," he said. "We always talk to all parties and work with the democratically elected government to achieve the best outcomes for local government."
The stated reason given by the Local Government Association of Queensland for backing the LNP was that "a hung Parliament would endanger the task of ensuring timely and sustainable infrastructure planning and building programs for the regions".
Not mentioned was the Campbell Newman administration's decision to wind back a number of council amalgamations forced through by the previous Labor regime. Nor were the personal politics of the LGAQ leadership.
In 2008 Labor more than halved the number of councils in Queensland from 157 to 73 against the opposition of many communities. Campbell Newman promised to allow some of the new "super councils" to de-amalgamate but only four were ultimately successful in reverting to their former boundaries – Noosa, Douglas, Mareeba and Livingstone.
The cost of demerging – which is being worn by ratepayers in higher rates – has been hotly debated but the Noosa demerger alone cost more than $10 million according to one estimate.
None of this featured in last Thursday's media release by LGAQ president Margaret de Wit supporting the return of the LNP government. She was "more confident local government could work to implement the infrastructure commitments of a returned LNP government".
Cr de Wit finished with an each-way bet that "local councils were keen to work with whichever party won government".