On March 16^th, less than three weeks from now, more than 850,000 people will cast their votes for the Brisbane City Council.

The LNP Government under Lord Mayor Adrian Schinner are hoping to secure a sixth consecutive term in power while Labor, led by Tracey Price, and The Greens, led by Jonathan Sriranganathan, are hoping to dislodge them from their 20-year reign.

The last election in March 2020, which occurred in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw no change to the makeup of council. The LNP won 19 seats and the Mayoralty, Labor won 5 seats, while the Greens and Independent Nicole Johnston won 1 seat each.

This year things are set for a bit of a shakeup. 7 of the 26 councillors resigned last year. This usually means that there will be a swing away from the sitting party as voters no longer have a familiar face representing them.

It’s unlikely that either Labor or The Greens will get enough seats to form government on their own, so if the LNP fails to retain a majority, Labor and The Greens will be need to work together to get anything done.

The three parties all have different goals and policies so voters will have a tough decision to make. Here’s a quick overview of them now.

Liberal National

With a seven-seat majority, the LNP are confident that they can continue their winning streak no matter the outcome. Lord Mayor Adrian Schinner became lord mayor in 2019 having previously served just under 14 years as a councillor. They are promising to build more roads, balance the budget, and take harsher action on youth crime.

Labor

Being the second largest party, and already being in government at the state and federal level, Labor is arguably in the best position to win government off the LNP. They are led by Tracey Price, a small business owner and lawyer. They promise to improve road infrastructure, halve the cost of public transport and improve the delivery of council services.

The Greens

The Greens are the smallest of the three parties, getting only a single ward in the last election, but they hope to secure several inner-city wards for themselves this time. Their leader, Jonathan Sriranganathan, is an artist, activist, and former councillor for the Gabba. The Greens promise to make public transport free, increase oversight on property developers, and implement a freeze on rent increases.

We encourage everyone to look more into the parties, their candidates, and their policies so they can make the most informed decision possible when polling day comes.

For more information on how to vote click here: Electoral Commission of Queensland | Electoral Commission of Queensland (ecq.qld.gov.au)