Goss in deep strife over Mundingburra
By Bill Mason BRISBANE — The Goss government is in deep trouble as the February 3 by-election for the Townsville-based seat of Mundingburra draws closer. Polls show Labor's candidate, Townsville mayor Tony Mooney, trailing the Liberals' Frank Tanti quite substantially. And the sacking of former state government minister Ken Davies has led to damaging allegations of attempted bribery against his former ALP colleagues. Davies has slammed the Labor government by claiming he was offered a large cash settlement and a six-month holiday to keep him quiet in the aftermath of his replacement by Mooney. In reply, on January 14, Queensland ALP president Bob Gibbs offered to authorise party solicitors to reveal details of private negotiations with Davies, if he would do the same. The challenge followed moves by the Liberal Party to refer allegations of illegal ALP inducements to Davies to the Criminal Justice Commission and the police. Gibbs accused Davies of demanding a $500,000 contract from the Labor Party, a future safe seat and a job for his wife — which Gibbs described as "nothing short of blackmail". Whatever the truth of the matter, the wheeling and dealing has done nothing for Labor's image in Mundingburra, or the state. Davies, who is running as an independent in the by-election, has failed to take the opportunity to highlight the ALP's failures on policy. This is largely because, as a former minister and member of Premier Wayne Goss' Australian Workers Union faction, he was until recently completely complicit in the government's administration. Mooney, Davies' replacement, also has an atrocious record as Townsville mayor on environmental issues, as well as on the council's controversial policy of harassment and relocation of the Aboriginal "park people", who gather in Townsville's Hanran Park. Michael Bourne, the Australian Indigenous People's Party (AIPP) candidate for Mundingburra, has slammed Mooney's record on Aboriginal issues, and said on January 12 that the electorate's 400 Murri voters had the power to determine the election result. He said he would be fighting for the recommendations of the deaths in custody royal commission to be fully implemented and backed up with legislation. Pauline Woodbridge, standing for the Australian Women's Party, has issued a log of claims to other candidates, calling for support for women's rights — in particular, removal of abortion from the state's criminal code. The Green Party has lost an ideal opportunity to press home a pro-environmental agenda by deciding not to stand in Mundingburra. This occurred because of conflict between the state party and the local branch over preferences to the ALP. The local Greens refused to give preferences to Mooney because of his poor record on the environment, and the party eventually decided to withdraw. This decision will have further implications in the shadow boxing over Green preferences in the coming federal election. Mundingburra is vital to Goss, and also of course to Prime Minister Paul Keating, because a Labor loss could lead to the fall of the Queensland ALP government. Despite being a political no-hoper, the Liberal's Tanti could take the seat and allow a Coalition government to take office, with the support of right-wing independent for Gladstone Liz Cunningham. A defeat in Mundingburra would have serious implications for federal Labor, as Queensland is one state in which popular support for the ALP has drastically declined. "Mundingburra is a litmus test for the future of Labor nationally", the Democratic Socialist candidate for the Brisbane seat of Griffith, Coral Wynter, said on January 20. "Both Goss and Keating are in deep trouble because of their conservative policies, which serve the interests of big business instead of working people. "The Democratic Socialists urge people in Mundingburra to vote for the AIPP and the Women's Party, with preferences to Labor, to help develop a movement which puts people before profits."