2001 Queensland state election

The ALP had formed a minority government after the 1998 election, but after victory at the 1998 Mulgrave state by-election secured a one-seat majority with 45 out of 89 seats in parliament. In 2000, an "electoral rorts" scandal emerged over historic allegations of electoral fraud involving ALP members, with the Criminal Justice Commission convening an independent inquiry led by former Supreme Court judge Tom Shepherdson.^[2] The Shepherdson Inquiry resulted in the resignation of deputy premier Jim Elder and backbencher Grant Musgrove from the ALP, with the Beattie government consequently placed in a minority position again in December 2000.^[3]

One Nation had polled the second-highest vote total at the 1998 election, but in 1999 was found to have been improperly registered and its leader Pauline Hanson was directed to repay the electoral funding it had received. The party was not re-registered by the Queensland Electoral Commission until January 2001.^[4] In the lead-up to the election, six One Nation MPs left to form a new party, the City Country Alliance.^[3]

According to John Wanna, the election campaign was marked by a focus on the key personalities – Beattie, Borbidge and Hanson – rather than policy matters. Opinion polling showed a consistently high approval rating for Beattie, increasing to 66 percent by the end of the campaign, with Borbidge's approval rating as low as 13 percent.^[5] Liberal leader David Watson struggled for recognition and during the campaign was the subject of internal discontent over his criticisms of the Howard government's petrol excise policies, although no formal challenge to his leadership emerged.^[6]

Beattie completed a three-week "listening tour" of Queensland and attracted media coverage through a number of publicity stunts including "swimming with sharks, nursing piglets and wearing funny hats at events and on construction sites".^[7] Borbidge's campaign focused on the Shepherdson Inquiry findings, but struggled to gain traction.^[4]

Hanson left Queensland only a week after the election was called to campaign at the 2001 Western Australian state election and did not return to Queensland until the final week, conducting a series of rapid-fire visits to seats via helicopter. The City-Country Alliance publicly offered to mount a joint campaign with One Nation, with party leader Bill Feldman unsuccessfully suggesting an electoral pact to avoid competing in the same seats.^[4]

Beattie adjourned parliament in November 2000 over concerns his government would be seen to be reliant on the votes of individuals implicated in the Shepherdson Inquiry. In January 2001 he announced an early election would be held.^[2]

A redistribution of electoral boundaries occurred in 1999.

The electorates of Archerfield, Barambah, Caboolture, Chermside, Crows Nest, Kedron, Merrimac, Mooloolah, Nerang, Sunnybank, Warwick, Western Downs, and Yeronga were abolished.

The electorates of Algester, Darling Downs, Gaven, Glass House, Kawana, Mudgeeraba, Nanango, Pumicestone, Robina, Southern Downs, Stafford, Stretton, and Yeerongpilly were created.

The redistribution merged Chermside with Kedron to create the notionally Labor-held Stafford north of Brisbane, and Crows Nest with Western Downs to create the notionally National-held Darling Downs in regional Queensland. Notionally National-held Gaven was created on the Gold Coast, and notionally One Nation-held Glass House was created on the Sunshine Coast. Archerfield was renamed Algester, Caboolture was renamed Pumicestone, Merrimac was renamed Robina, Mooloolah was renamed Kawana, Nerang was renamed Mudgeeraba, Sunnybank was renamed Stretton, Warwick was renamed Southern Downs, and Yeronga was renamed Yeerongpilly. Albert notionally became Labor-held, Callide notionally became One Nation-held, while Springwood notionally became Liberal-held.

The changes resulted in 43 notionally Labor-held seats, 10 notionally Liberal-held seats, 21 notionally National-held seats, 13 notionally One Nation-held seats, and 2 notionally Independent-held seats.

• Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election.
• ¹ Jeff Knuth, David Dalgleish, Jack Paff, Bill Feldman, and Harry Black were elected as members of the One Nation Party, but resigned in 1999 and formed the City Country Alliance, and contested the 2001 election for that party.
• ² John Kingston, Dorothy Pratt, and Ken Turner were elected as members of the One Nation Party, but resigned in 1999, and contested the 2001 election as Independents.
• ³ Warren Pitt gained Mulgrave for the Labor Party in the 1998 by-election. The One Nation Party had won the seat at the 1998 election.
• The Labor Party also retained the seat of Albert which had a notional Labor margin, and the seats of Capalaba and Woodridge, where sitting Labor members had resigned to become Independents.
• The One Nation Party also retained the seat of Lockyer, where the sitting member contested the 2001 election as a member of the City Country Alliance, and Tablelands, where the sitting member contested the 2001 election as an Independent.

• On 20 March 2001, former National Premier Rob Borbidge (Surfers Paradise) resigned. At the by-election on 5 May 2001, Independent Lex Bell won the seat.
• On 22 December 2001, Ray Hopper (Darling Downs) joined the National Party.
• On 18 April 2002, Elisa Roberts (Gympie) resigned from the One Nation Party and sat as an Independent.
• On 24 March 2003, Independent John Kingston (Maryborough) resigned. At the by-election on 26 April 2003, Independent Chris Foley won the seat.