VOTERS across the nation are casting their ballots on Saturday in a Federal Election that could reshape the political landscape – and in the key Ipswich electorates of Blair and Oxley, the outcome could be critical to Labor’s fortunes in Queensland.
In Blair, all eyes are on long-serving Labor MP Shayne Neumann, who is fighting to retain his seat amid a field of 10 candidates. Bookmakers have Mr Neumann as the front-runner, paying $1.24, but the contest remains tight, with the LNP’s Carl Mutzelburg mounting a serious challenge.
Mr Mutzelburg, who has run a grassroots campaign drawing on his profile from a previous tilt at the state seat of Bundamba, has firmed into $3.40 – making this one of the more closely watched races in South East Queensland.
First elected in 2007 with a sweeping 10.2 per cent swing to Labor, Mr Neumann turned Blair into a safe seat by 2016.
In 2019, he suffered a heavy swing against him, and his primary vote plunged to 31.3 per cent.
He recovered somewhat in 2022 with a 4 per cent swing back to Labor.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Oxley, few expect any surprises.
Labor’s Milton Dick is widely tipped to retain the seat, with odds of $1 and a strong margin of 11.59 per cent.
The current Speaker of the House, Mr Dick has held the seat since 2016 and enjoys broad support across the electorate, which includes Labor-leaning suburbs such as Springfield, Goodna, and Redbank.
His main challenger, LNP candidate Kevin Burns, is paying $12, while five other hopefuls are even longer shots – highlighting the Speaker’s dominant position.
As the polls open, the mood in Ipswich is one of anticipation – and in Blair especially, the result may come down to the wire.
Labor is hoping for a continuation of the so-called “red wave” across Queensland’s south-east.
