The electorate of Ashgrove will take on battleground status as both the LNP government and the Labor opposition put as many resources as possible into the fight for the seat in the coming election.
QUT political scientist Professor Clive Bean said while the coalition government was likely to be returned, he considered the party may well lose the Premier's seat of Ashgrove.
"The current government won the previous election with the biggest majority of any government in Australian history," he said.
"The fact that polling is indicating the election on January 31 could be a close call, means the government has got something wrong.
"Those people who are unhappy with the performance of the government, and who see the Premier as responsible for the government, are likely to take the opportunity to send a signal at the ballot box."
Professor Bean said the state of the economy would be a key election issue as would health.
"The management of and the teething problems the new children's hospital at South Brisbane has been having can't be blamed on the previous Labor administration and there is confusion over hospital waiting lists.
"While the number of patients on waiting lists has declined there have been allegations that lists have been redefined so as not to include all those awaiting treatments."
Professor Bean said education would also be an issue along with the bikie laws with not the laws themselves being so much an issue but the government's performance surrounding their introduction.
He also said if the bikie lobby supported Labor, this might not be support the party wants.
Professor Bean doesn't consider the privatisation of state assets will be greatly on people's minds as they cast their votes.
Professor Bean said the snap announcement of the election would hurt independents and minor parties who might not have as much time as they would have hoped for to raise their profiles but this would benefit the government.
"Some seats in which the government may have been vulnerable, could now be firmer for it, as newer candidates struggle to become better known."
Professor Bean said the best thing the current opposition could do was to keep its head down and let the government create its own damage.
Media contact: Rose Trapnell, QUT media team leader, 07 3138 2361 or 0407 585 901 rose.trapnell@qut.edu.au
