Australia shaken by election defeat

bBy BARRY RENFREW

AP Writer

SYDNEY, Australia (AP) – Australia’s conservative government was shaken Sunday by a disastrous defeat in a key state election as many of its supporters flocked to a right-wing, anti-immigrant party.

The opposition Labor Party, which won overwhelmingly in the Queensland state elections on Saturday, was favored to repeat its victory in federal elections expected by November.

But the worst blow for embattled Prime Minister John Howard is the loss of support among traditional conservatives, who are among those most angry about his government’s policies.

Many conservatives switched to One Nation, a right-wing group headed by Pauline Hanson that advocates limiting everything from immigration to farm regulation. It is determined to unseat Howard.

Hanson, who said she wants One Nation to be a contender for government in three years, now has an excellent chance of winning a federal Senate seat this year.

The Queensland defeat was the second in a week for Howard’s coalition of the Liberal and National parties, which suffered an upset loss in Western Australia on Feb. 10. The Queensland Labor government won re-election with a massive majority, even though it was tainted last year by a vote rigging scandal.

Analysts said the Queensland result was aimed directly at Howard and means the government is in trouble.

“It wasn’t a protest vote. It was more. It was a political catch and kill exercise the likes of which has not been seen for decades,” The Sunday Telegraph newspaper said.

Howard insisted the debacle was local, but acknowledged he would listen to voters. A political survivor written off many times before, Howard has six months to restore support before seeking a third term.

“I do want the Australian people to know that it would be very foolish of anybody in my position not to take some lessons or heed some messages from yesterday given the magnitude of the vote that occurred,” he told reporters.

Capturing about 9 percent of the overall vote, One Nation polled up to 40 percent in some Queensland seats. Although it won just three seats, One Nation used the Australian voting system, under which voters list their preferences in descending order, to help defeat Coalition lawmakers.

While One Nation has gained notoriety for its shrill opposition to Asian immigration and welfare programs for Aborigines, it echoes the frustrations of alienated conservatives who believe the Howard government doesn’t care about its own supporters.

Queensland National leader Rob Borbridge deplored One Nation’s rise in a country that prides itself on tolerance.

“What we have to do is address the issues that drive people to those extremists of Australian politics,” he said.

The frustration of middle class and rural voters was at the core of the Coalition’s defeat in both state elections. Farmers, small businesses and families have borne the brunt of high fuel prices and a new sales tax that requires hours of paperwork by businesses.

They are also angry about government deregulation of industry and agriculture to boost competition and cut subsidies, saying it has devastated rural towns.

Bob Katter, a federal lawmaker with the National Party, said the government ensured the defeat with free trade policies that hurt its supporters. The Nationals traditionally represent rural voters, while the Liberals draw support from urban conservatives.

“The National Party in Canberra has constantly argued that free trade and free market forces have been good for us,” Katter said. “They live in a fairytale land. It has been absolutely disastrous for rural Australia.”

One Nation did not do as well in Queensland as it did in 1998, when it first emerged as a national political force, capturing 11 seats in state elections. Still, the party proved it is riding high again just months after it was written off because of internal divisions and a funding scandal.