Mick Kosenko – a president of state chapter of Rebels club – is demoted from third on Labor’s card for Pine Rivers to sixth

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

Queensland Labor has been forced to pulp how-to-vote cards for the state election that preferenced a known bikie.

Mick Kosenko, a president of the Queensland chapter of the Rebels outlaw motorcycle club, who rose to mainstream prominence under the Newman government’s so-called Vlad laws, was placed third on Labor’s card for the electorate of Pine Rivers, held by Labor’s Nikki Boyd, ahead of the LNP.

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On Tuesday the premier, Annastacia Palaszczuk, ordered the cards to be pulped and Kosenko be demoted, but she could not place him last because of her commitment to place One Nation at the bottom of the ballot.

“I have spoken to the state secretary and I have said to the state secretary very clearly that he [Kosenko] will go just above One Nation,” she said in Cairns.

“The reason I am saying that is that I made a commitment to the people of Queensland that I would put One Nation last.”

Kosenko will now appear in sixth place on the how-to-vote cards and One Nation in seventh.

With minor parties such as the Greens and One Nation rising in popularity, preferences may be crucial in this election.

The LNP has put One Nation above Labor on its cards in 50 of 61 seats, confirming John Howard’s policy of always putting the party last, is dead.

The prospect of minor parties winning seats has also left unanswered questions about who will govern if no party has an overall majority. Palaszczuk has ruled out making deals to form government with One Nation, Katter’s Australia party or the Greens.

If Labor fails to get the 47 seats to govern in its own right, and the LNP also falls short, but cannot make a deal, Queensland may be sent straight back to the polls.

On Tuesday Palaszczuk refused to speculate on that possibility.

“I’m not dealing with hypotheticals,” she said. “I am focused on a majority. What we need is a majority.”

Pre-polling opened on Tuesday, with almost 28,000 people handing in their votes. The election is on 25 November.