Dear John,

I am sure all Labor supporters take great heart from Saturday’s stunning electoral victory in Queensland.  In Premier Palaszczuk we have a new Labor Legend and a victory for the ages.

Queensland Labor has shown we can prevail even when the deck is stacked against us:

• Trenchant and underhanded intervention from the Prime Minister,
• A force five cyclone of money and misinformation from Clive Palmer and the LNP outspending us two-to-one,
• A hyper-partisan hostile media that morphed into an LNP campaign unit,
• Sections of big business calling for open borders without a moments concern for the consequences.
  

They were no match for a strong leader and a genuine grass-roots campaign.

We experience this election in the shadow of the US Presidential election that daily gives us a political horror show of the road we must avoid in this country.  The same elements that have destroyed American politics endanger our politics here.  There is little doubt that we need major reforms to campaign funding and disclosure so frothing mad billionaires of any type can no longer turn Australian elections into their personal freak show.

We need respect from all political parties for science and facts so we can have proper debate grounded in logic and the contest of ideas so elections are not turned into a lie-fest.

In this election Labor’s vote held not just in the cities but in the regions. 

A jobs first agenda spearheaded Labor’s victory and demonstrates yet again that communities affected by change want a Government on their side protecting jobs and diversifying economies so they and their children are able to benefit from the new industries of the future.  One of the most spectacular outcomes on the night was in the regional city of Maryborough where the Government committed to the domestic manufacture of railway rolling stock. 

Clearly Queenslanders supported forward looking and socially progressive economic reforms that will drive social cohesion.

Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk and Deputy Premier Stephen Miles, John Battams Qld Party President and Jules Campbell Qld Party Secretary, and all our volunteers and union members deserve our appreciation and acknowledgement 

I congratulate Queensland Labor.   I urge us all to redouble our efforts over the next year to back in Anthony Albanese and the Federal Opposition to defeat the Morrison Government. 

Now’s the time for us to capitalise on this momentum and build for the next campaign. If you're a Labor supporter but not a member, now is the time to join. If you know someone who shares our Labor values, ask them to become a member. When the time comes, put your hand up to volunteer.

Together we can build the grass-roots movement we need to win the next Federal Election. This Queensland victory tells us this can be done.

In solidarity, 

Wayne Swan
ALP National President

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