It’s been dubbed the battle of Brisbane. The seat of Petrie, with a margin of just 1.6%, is held by a thread.

Leanne Nebe reports.

TRANSCRIPT

With six candidates running for the middle class marginal, it’s game on in Petrie.

Both Labor’s Corinne Mulholland and the Liberal Party’s Luke Howarth are ready to rumble.

Corinne Mulholland, Petrie Candidate: “There are no more dress rehearsals for this show. The starter’s gun is about to fire, and we are ready.”

Luke Howarth, LNP Member for Petrie: “We do have a strong plan for the economy, and if we get that right, that funds all the essential services like health and defence, education, pensions, everything we need.”

The seat covers 152 square kilometres, crossing parts of Brisbane and Moreton Bay Council.

The sitting ‘blues’ may look shaky, but the ‘red’ team’s taking nothing for granted.

Corinne Mulholland, Petrie Candidate: “They have money and power, but what we have is people. People is what we stand for, and people is what matters to us. I’m knocking on doors every single day, and overwhelmingly, the mums and dads, the small business people, the seniors I talk to, they want a change.”

Locals haven’t yet decided. Some are disappointed.

Vox 1: “It was absolutely appalling to see the amount of money being moved away from State Schools, into places like the big banks.”

Others are happy the way things are.

Vox 2: “The people here know that you’ve got to have a strong government, and you can’t have Labor just spending, spending, spending.”

The LNP’s Luke Howarth says he’s confident that he’s done his best to deliver for Petrie, but isn’t taking anything for granted.

Luke Howarth, LNP Member for Petrie: “Hi guys lovely to see you. It’s a beautiful day.”

And the campaign trail wouldn’t be complete without a difference of opinion at a candidate debate.

Corinne Mulholland, Petrie Candidate: “I listen to you really politely. (Luke: you brought me into it) And you brought me into it actually, so let’s be polite. I gave you a fair crack, you give me a fair crack okay?”

But they agreed that a fair campaign should take precedence, regardless of the result.

This election year has seemed fluid, dynamic and changeable.

For either party to win Petrie, will be a big ask, and a tough grind, right till the end.

Leanne Nebe QUT News.