Bligh rules out joint Qld, local poll

Premier Anna Bligh has ruled out holding both state and council elections on the same day next year.

Queensland’s state election is due in March 2012, in the same month as the local government poll.

Independent MP Peter Wellington on Tuesday suggested in parliament the polls be held the same day to save taxpayers money.

Ms Bligh said it wasn’t the first time that had been suggested but it would not happen.

It was best that the polls be separate so as not to confuse the issues at different levels of government, she said.

“I do appreciate the question,” Ms Bligh said.

“I have no intention however of revealing what the exact date (of the election) might be.

“If that was the intention, it was a nice try.”

Meanwhile, nearly one in four Queenslanders is “totally likely” to vote for Katter’s Australian Party at the looming state election, a Galaxy Poll indicates.

Katter’s Australian Party, led by outspoken federal independent MP Bob Katter, is a new player on the Queensland political scene.

The poll, conducted for The Courier-Mail newspaper, indicated 23 per cent of 800 people polled say they are “totally likely” to vote for Katter’s Australian Party at the state election, due early next year.

Seven per cent of those polled say they are “very likely” and 16 per cent “quite likely” to vote for the Katter party.

If the poll was replicated at a state election, Katter’s Australian Party could achieve a result similar to the 11 seats One Nation gained in 1998 with 22 per cent of the vote, the newspaper says.

Mr Katter’s office was sought for comment.

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