The leader of the government in the Senate, George Brandis, has predicted One Nation will win “quite a few seats” in the Queensland election – and has suggested the Liberal National party is underperforming and might split its operation in the state.
Brandis was caught unwittingly on an open microphone during a political event in Victoria at the weekend criticising “mediocre” colleagues in Queensland for poor performance and predicting a strong showing for One Nation.
The embarrassing footage was broadcast by Sky News on Monday afternoon.
Asked by the Victorian Liberal party president, Michael Kroger, how things were travelling in Brandis’ home state, Brandis replied, frankly: “They’re not very good.
Attorney-General George Brandis says Qld LNP 'very very mediocre' #auspol READ MORE: https://t.co/GpYEiMtdtV https://t.co/b6sx5tzS70
— Sky News Australia (@SkyNewsAust) November 21, 2016
“I’d say that the state opposition is very, very mediocre and the state government is very, very mediocre – but the thing that is alarming everyone is, as you would expect, the sudden spike in One Nation which is now at about 16%.
“One Nation, as you know, their strength is in heartland National party seats and heartland Labor party seats, the old industrial seats around Ipswich and western Brisbane.
“I think there is every reason to believe that they will win quite a few seats in the state election.”
Brandis’ prediction will doubtless delight One Nation, which has in recent weeks been busy claiming credit for the tone of federal politics, which has swung noticeably in a populist direction since Donald Trump won the presidential election in the US.
When you look at Bill Shorten's recent rhetoric it seems Labor is now taking its cues from Pauline Hanson's One Nation. Good to see #auspol
— Pauline Hanson (@PaulineHansonOz) November 14, 2016
Brandis also suggests in the Sky footage that the Liberal and National parties may de-merge in the state.
He tells Kroger that Labor is planning on bringing back compulsory preferential voting in Queensland and that undermines the point of the tie-up.
“The Labor party are bringing back compulsory preferential,” Brandis says to Kroger, who expresses surprise at that news.
Brandis: “Yes they are, yes they are ... which somewhat attacks the raison d’etre of the merger of the Liberal party and National party. I think there might be a revisiting of things as a result of compulsory preferential voting.”
The attorney-general’s indiscretion forced the Queensland opposition leader, Tim Nicholls, and the state LNP president, Gary Spence, to issue a statement rejecting Brandis’ comments.
Nicholls said he “strongly disagreed” , protesting that he led a “strong and effective Queensland opposition which is holding to account an incompetent, do-nothing government with no plans for Queensland”.
Nicholls referred to his current five-day listening tour of north Queensland as evidence his team was “on the ground, listening to Queenslanders across the state”.
The LNP state president, Gary Spence, said Nicholls and the state opposition were “a united and effective team, listening to the concerns of Queenslanders and developing comprehensive plans to get Queensland moving”.
Nicholls was yet to say whether the LNP would preference One Nation over Labor at the next state election in what would be a departure from a long bipartisan practice of putting Hanson’s party last.
