REDLANDS LNP MP Matt McEachan has launched a stinging attack on the state government, saying that by introducing compulsory preferential voting, Labor had rigged the next election.
"I see this as their manipulation of the electoral system ... to suit themselves,'' he said.
The government has reintroduced compulsory preferential voting and moved to increase the size of Parliament from 89 to 93 seats.
Capalaba Labor MP Don Brown said it was clear that Mr McEachan was under pressure.
"It's a ridiculous thing to say, (that Labor's rigging the next election),'' he said.
"If that's the case, the federal government is also rigging the next election because this is the same system voters will use in about seven weeks time and in every other state bar NSW.''
Mr Brown said compulsory preferential voting was long supported by the LNP when it suited them.
He said the move was to bring federal and state systems into alignment but conceded that governments and oppositions had shifted political position when it suited them.
"There's obviously political opportunism by both sides in changing the Electoral Act to suit themselves,'' he said.
"It suits the LNP to amend the Act to have 93 seats. If you look over the history of electoral proposals, both sides are two faced. Both sides have chosen to support different systems at different times.
"Matt clearly feels he’s under pressure over this.''
Mr McEachan said optional preferential voting was a recommendation by the Fitzgerald report and just because other states and the Commonwealth had compulsory preferential voting, it did not make it a better system.
"The optional system is regarded as the fairest in Australia,'' he said.
Griffith University political scientist Paul Williams said compulsory preferential voting was practised in Queensland from 1962 to 1991.
The Liberal and National parties supported the system then because it favoured the two parties to trade preferences.
He said Labor's move was, in essence, a political party playing politics which should be no surprise to anyone.
"I'm a big fan of compulsory preferential voting because it produces a fairer outcome,'' he said. "That is, the results are more proportional to the votes cast.
"Compulsory voting is a utilitarian model in the sense that you are trying to bring about greater satisfaction for the greatest number of voters.
"It also will bring Queensland in line with the federal government and so should produce fewer informal votes at federal elections.
"That is also the state government's official rationale but we all know what its real rationale is (a political move).''
Mr McEachan said the electoral redistribution under which Parliament's seats would be increased from 89 to 93 would have only marginal impact on southern Moreton Bay seats.
Seats were likely to be added on the northern Gold Coast and in the Caboolture and North Lakes regions on Brisbane's northside.
Mr Brown said he had received one complaint from a voter about preferential voting but 1600 emails in a campaign about Uber drivers.
"I think people are smart enough to check the history of (compulsory preferential voting),'' he said.
But Labor’s Bundamba MP Jo-Ann Miller, a former minister, has said “many’’ constituents voiced opposition to the changes.
