The LNP is down to its last line of defence in a city recent elections have cemented as a Labor stronghold.
Scott Buchholz, who holds the final foothold in the electorate of Wright in Logan’s west, retained his seat convincingly at the May 3 election despite recording a 2.8% swing against him.
But with his only neighbour in the LNP party room defeated, Mr Buchholz has big shoes to fill.
That neighbour, Bert van Manen, was the opposition’s loudest voice in Logan through a decade of state Labor rule and six years of federal Labor governments.
Mr Buchholz hopes to “play nice” with his neighbours, but acknowledges the opposition’s role is to “hold the government to account”.
“Very rarely are you going to get an environment where you are the same colour as everyone around you,” he said.
“You can only play with the cards you are dealt. Democracy doesn’t always get it right, but this is what punters have asked for.
“If it is a Labor stronghold, Bert was extraordinary for holding [the Forde electorate] for that amount of time.”
When a seat is lost, LNP convention means one of the party’s senators will become the “de facto member” for the area.
In the case of Forde, that responsibility will likely fall to senator Paul Scarr, who is based out of Springfield Central.
Mr van Manen hasn’t ruled out a return to politics, but said he would possibly return to the private sector, where he worked in banking pre-parliament.
“I haven’t made any decisions at this point,” he said.
“I’ll still be around doing bits and pieces, but for the time being, I am going to have a bit of a break and recharge the batteries.
“I do pay a heavy price for the role I have been in.”
Mr van Manen said he was looking forward to spending time with family and friends.
“For a boy who grew up in Waterford West, to represent his community in federal parliament is a privilege and an honour,” he said.
“Just because you have been there for 15 years doesn’t mean you can just show up and get a result.”
The most important achievement during his five terms in parliament, according to Mr van Manen, was solving problems for constituents who entered his office.
“For me, there will never be a Facebook post or a speech, but that was the most important aspect of the job.”
He also cited sporting club upgrades, grants for community groups, and major road upgrades as local highlights.
“I look across the board and we have achieved some really good things locally, and there are still things I would have liked to get done.”
Mr van Manen, having taken the seat of Forde from Labor hands in 2010, said he always had good working relationships with his mostly-Labor neighbours.
“I grew up in Waterford West and Bethania. It is my backyard and I have always been able to work with any government of any political persuasion.
“You run your flag up the flagpole at election time, and the rest of the time you knuckle down and work together for the community’s benefit.”
As for why he lost, Mr van Manen pointed to a national dissatisfaction with the opposition.
“Some of the feedback I have had was that people don’t want Peter [Dutton] there.
“There are definitely some issues there from a national perspective.”
He hinted at the temporary dissolution of the federal Coalition, claiming it was “going to be an interesting time in Australian politics”.
As someone without a “card in the game”, Mr van Manen said he was now simply an “interested observer”.
Mr Buchholz, who was this week appointed the Shadow Minister for Skills and Training, agreed local results were impacted by national events and trends.
“I don’t think there is one, uniformed event that crystalised everyone together. For some, it might have been the Trump factor, for some it might have been the nuclear factor, for others it might have been a lack of messaging, or the appeal of our leader,” he said.
“My people have very confidently returned me. I hope because they like the way I represent them – they like the way I am visible, approachable.
“I advocate that I am the worst politician in Canberra. I am not a shiny, polished speaker, but very few people leave a conversation with me thinking, ‘I wonder what Scotty was trying to say’.
“If on the odd occasion I sprinkle a bit of Queensland vernacular flair over the top of my speeches, then so be it.”
Mr Buchholz said all was not lost for the Coalition, but admitted the party needed to learn from the election.
“The Australian public sent us a very strong message that they expect us to do better.
“We have to listen to them, take on board the reasons that those families and businesses who may have supported us for a decade and a half chose not to this time.”
