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THE POLL BLUDGER SURFERS PARADISE
Surfers Paradise was created at the 1972 election and was held by the Nationals until 1977, when in the direction of Labor's preference recommendation helped deliver it for a term to the Liberals. It was won back for the Nationals in 1980 by future Premier Rob Borbidge, who quit in the wake of the 2001 election disaster. During his concession of defeat speech, Borbidge made the puzzling statement that his own seat was likely to be among the casualties, when he in fact won by 5.3 per cent. Borbidge's resignation led to a by-election on 5 May 2001, at which voters reacted as they normally do when dragged back to the polls because a defeated leader chooses a super payout over three years of service to his electorate. Nationals candidate Susie Douglas watched the party's vote all but disappear among a field of 12 that included the Liberal Party's John-Paul Langbroek (brother of Kate from The Panel), who scored more than double Douglas's vote with 21.2 per cent. The clear winner with 35.9 per cent of the vote was independent candidate Lex Bell, a former Gold Coast mayor. Bell entered the 2004 election encumbered by his involvement in the financial collapse of private college St Stephen's, of which he and other local identities including the wife of Gold Coast mayor Gary Baildon were directors. All concerned were saved from financial disaster after a generous bail-out from local Nationals identity Otto Pfeiffer, which looked to many like a quid pro quo for a dubious council rezoning decision allowing him to sell his Cable Ski World water sports park for a handsome sum. Bell's vote fell to 22.9 per cent and John-Paul Langbroek won the day in his second tilt as Liberal candidate, winning 44.7 per cent of the primary vote and a 13.9 per cent two-party margin over Labor. ASSESSMENT: Liberal retain | |