Qld; Liberals accuse Labor of "dirty tricks" at polling booths

AAP General News (Australia)
02-17-2001
Qld; Liberals accuse Labor of "dirty tricks" at polling booths

BRISBANE, Feb 17 AAP - Queensland's polls opened at 8am (AEST) today and already at
least one party has protested against the behaviour of its rivals at polling booths.

Queensland Liberals' state director Graham Jaeschke (Jaeschke) said the Labor-controlled
Brisbane City Council had allowed ALP workers to put up bunting or plastic wrap carrying
anti-Coalition signs at the entrance to polling booths in the Brisbane area.

The bunting stretched as far as 20 metres each side of the polling booths, leaving
no room for other parties to put their signs up, Mr Jaeschke told AAP.

"We are absolutely ropeable," he said.

"There's one rule for the Labor Party and another rule for everyone else."

The plastic wrap carried slogans such as "Peter Beattie and Labor - Putting Queensland
First" and "Don't go back to Borbidge" - in reference to Opposition Leader and former
premier in the last Coalition government, Rob Borbidge.

Mr Jaeschke said the Brisbane City Council signage policy allowed only four signs per
party at each polling booth and the bunting clearly contravened this.

But ALP state secretary Cameron Milner reported a smooth start to polling day across
the state and said that Mr Jaeschke had been reading the street stall section and not
the polling booth section of the council's signage policy, which had been sent to all
political parties this week.

"We've complied fully," Mr Cameron said.

Premier Peter Beattie will cast his vote today at the New Farm State School in the
inner Brisbane suburb of New Farm at 10am (AEST) and Rob Borbidge at 10.30am (AEST) at
the Broadbeach State School on the Gold Coast.

Liberal Leader David Watson will be at the Indooroopilly State School in Brisbane's
western suburbs at 10.30am (AEST) and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson at the Lockyer
High School at Gatton, west of Brisbane, at 10am (AEST).

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued strong wind warnings for the eastern Gulf of Carpentaria
and for the east coast from Cooktown in the north to Coolangatta in the south.

Queensland Electoral Commissioner Des O'Shea said two booths in the north Queensland
electorate of Hinchinbrook were closed today due to heavy rain and flash flooding overnight.

The two booths, at the towns of Lucinda and Halifax, would probably be open for voting
next weekend, weather permitting, Mr O'Shea said.

Meanwhile, cyclone Wylva, which formed yesterday in the Gulf of Carpentaria, was downgraded
to a rain depression as it moved over the Northern Territory.

There have been no reports so far of polling booths in the Gulf country closing due
to the effects of the cyclone.

AAP rad/jas

KEYWORD: POLLQLD SECOND DAYLEAD

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