Tim Nicholls warns Labor ‘set the pattern’ by urging voters to put Liberal National party last at most recent federal and Queensland elections

This article is more than 4 years old

This article is more than 4 years old

Tim Nicholls, the leader of Queensland’s opposition Liberal National party, says he would be happy to preference One Nation ahead of Labor at the next state election.

He said he would be talking to the LNP president and state executive about it, but warned Labor that it “set the pattern” here by urging voters to put the LNP last at the recent federal election and the last Queensland state election.

“Labor don’t come to this discussion with any high moral values,” Nicholls told ABC radio on Friday.

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“They’ve said put the LNP last in seats like Lockyer, where Pauline Hanson ran against [LNP candidate] Ian Rickuss” and nearly won.

“I think individual seats should have a very strong say in their areas about where they think preferences should go, based on the quality of the candidates and the policies that they represent.

“If that means we put Labor last in some seats that is a decision that I will support if that is the view of the local branch, the local members, and the state executive.

“We need to be doing all we can to make sure that this Labor government is not in power after the next election.”

On Sky News this week, Hanson warned she will be putting “every sitting member in Queensland” last on her how-to-vote cards, because she’s never forgotten how the major parties treated her in the past.

“That will be my recommendation,” Hanson said.

“Unless there is a member of parliament that I believe they have done the right thing for their constituency, and I won’t be standing candidates in every seat ... they will get my support, because it’s all about representing the people of Queensland.

She said she wanted to educate Queenslanders so they know they don’t have to follow the how-to-vote recommendations of the major parties.



“Preferences belong to the voters, not the political parties,” Hanson said.



The Palaszczuk Labor government has already indicated it will be urging voters to put One Nation last on its how-to-vote cards .

The Palaszczuk government recently scrapped optional preferencing, so full preferential voting will be compulsory at the state election scheduled to be held in or before 2018.