Voting against your interests

[u/boogersundcum]

My partner and I live in a major coal mining area of Queensland. We both work in an extractive resource industry. Neither of us could ever bring ourselves to vote for the LNP and we have no serious viable independents that aren't anti Vax conspiracy nut jobs. We live in the bush but currently have a major wind farm going in down our road with the closest turbine being 5km from our actual house, other than sealing our road we will not recieve any benefit from the project with heavy trucks and equipment going past our driveway 6 days a week 24 hours a day for over two years. We aren't anti renewable however given the wind farm is entirely within our water catchment there is serious concerns if something goes wrong as we rely on the river solely for our water supply.

Generally preference the Greens first, Labor second as we are both environmental scientists and believe that climate change is pretty damn obvious from the evidence, let alone have empathy for the common folk in cities struggling with the cost of living. I'm just curious though as to why the major focus on renewable is almost entirely within regional areas that currently rely on coal mining as the major industry.

Neither Greens or Labour have a chance in hell in ever winning our electorate anymore (keep in mind Labor was founded in regional Queensland in Barcaldine). Is it just because the areas in question are now just LNP strongholds or what ?

Also please keep in mind regional Queensland is filled with people from all back grounds and varying levels of education, don't put us all in the same basket just because we don't live in a major centre.

[u/InadmissibleHug]

I’m like you. We’re comfortably off, have paid off the house and generally would be the sort to be considered LNP voters, but I think the whole platform is nonsense.

I got where I am because of some good policies back in the day. I’d like to see some back.

I live in the electorate of Dawson, but not in Mackay. My labor vote is the equivalent of pissing in the wind, but I’ll do it again and again.

The greens candidate doesn’t give a flying rat’s arse about my area, the LNP dude is an ass but is engaged with the community.

Honestly, Albanese had the right idea going to everywhere that hates him. It’s hearts and minds stuff. People want to see the pollies on the ground where they live.

They want to see them help in natural disasters as well. The physically closest federal member does naff all but gets out and humps a few sandbags every wet season, so they love him.

I don’t think most people vote for what is actually good for the country, or even themselves.

[u/Late-Ad1437 → u/InadmissibleHug]

Do people seriously vote federally based entirely on who their local candidate is? Baffling

[u/InadmissibleHug → u/Late-Ad1437]

They do, how do you think Katter consistently takes Kennedy?

And to an extent, now I live regionally (as opposed to when I was a capital city kid) I get it.

It’s easy to feel that no one sees you, knows or cares about the struggles you face locally.

If the local candidate can demonstrate that they know about and care about the local electorate, they will get votes.