Something’s going on! That’s the feeling I am increasingly getting as we come to the end of a hard week on the campaign trail.

It’s been a week of ups and downs.  The major down being the fact that the mainstream media simply continues to, for the most part anyway, totally ignore the fact that we exist.  Now, let me be clear, I had no realistic expectation to be invited to take part in the Bligh v Borg event on Friday!  We are single issue party and therefore we will to some extent always sit a little aside from the mainstream of politics – as we sometimes say, we are a political party, but with a small ‘p’.  On the other hand though we are advocating something that we know 69% of South East Queenslanders want and are being denied for almost overtly political reasons.  That’s not right and our ‘raison d’être’ is to right that wrong.  You would think then, that would merit at least better coverage in the mainstream media – but apparently not.

But there’s a flip side, which has kind of been the big plus this week.  Getting out there and talking to people on the street, the level of support we have is surprising even us! I attended a breakfast event on the Gold Coast on Wednesday, the reception we got was better than warm, it was positively welcoming.  We were up against some seasoned opposition from the ALP and LNP, including ALP Deputy Leader Paul Lucas. Now, I don’t consider myself to be the greatest public speaker going, but the questions I directed to both parties, were the only ones to be welcomed with applause from the audience!  This certainly sends a clear message to us that the the community ‘loves what you are saying’!  Now, we were on the Gold Coast where we have always felt our message would be best received, but there really was a contrast between the warm and positive reaction towards us and the what the ‘professional’ politicians had to say.  Just to reinforce that it was not a one off aberration, a number of our candidates, including our candidate in Redlands, Cameron Krook, have reported remarkably similar experiences at ‘meet the candidates’ events.

So, we have this ‘Jekyll and Hyde’ effect, on the one had there is the campaign going on in the mainstream media, were we don’t get so much as a nod of acknowledgement.  On the other side, where we do get the opportunity to make our case, we seem to be welcomed with open arms and have people telling us how pleased they are that we have come on the scene! It’s very odd.  I know it’s mostly about the attraction of our message to those who want daylight saving, but I think it’s also got something to do with a general dissatisfaction with the two major parties.  They are unhappy with the ALP, but don’t really fancy the idea of the LNP either – so they feel that they may as well pace their vote on something they do really want – Daylight Saving in South East Queensland. We call this the ‘intelligent protest vote’ – and we could really benefit from it.  Well in a week or so, we will know!

Either way, it seems we are definitely causing something to be going on!

Remember – ‘It’s about time!’

Jason Furze

DS4SEQ Party Leader