General News
25 September, 2024
Three against one, for now, for Lister
Candidates for Southern Downs
Three quarters conservative to one quarter green pretty much represents the electorate of the Southern Downs and this State election is right on the mark. Three conservative and one Green candidate are angling to become (or in the case of James Lister, remain) the State Member of the Southern Downs.
Mr Lister, the incumbent, has held the post since 2017. The outspoken representative is known for his long military career and for his outbursts in chambers which regularly see him expelled from the floor of parliament.
Mr Lister, 48, is a conservative by any definition and has been unflinching in his criticism of the State government’s handling of youth crime. It is therefore surprising that two other conservatives are running against him including Liz Suduk (One Nation) and Melinda Keller (Family First).
Ms Suduk told The Town & Country Journal that she differentiates herself from Mr Lister because she belongs to a small political party. “Because I am community focused I will say things that need to be said. When you’re with a major party you tow the party line. Being with a minor party, I will say what needs to be said,” Ms Suduk, a former police officer, said.
Candidate David Newport, originally from Allora, is also shaking things up with the power of the Queensland Green party. “This won’t be a safe LNP seat forever,” he said, adding that locals are worried about the housing crisis “and how it’s emblematic of the major parties abandoning everyday people in regional Queensland.”
Melinda Keller is representing Family First and has a newly minted Facebook site which, as of late last week, had no followers and one post. The Family First website says that Melinda “has stepped up to give voters in the electorate of the Southern Downs the choice to vote for family, faith, life and freedom.”
The ultra conservative platform of the party underscores sexual orientation issues including banning drag queen story times, ensuring “your kids” are educated “free from radical gender theory”; restoring “parents’ rights” by making it an offence “for teachers or social workers to hide from parents their child’s decision to change gender”; abolish “coercive diversity training and participation” ; abolished “preferred pronouns” for public services; abolish “anti-vilification and anti-discrimination” laws.
The Journal made contact by text with Ms Keller but was unable to obtain a comment from Ms Keller before going to press.
By contrast, Mr Newport, was free to speak, and emphasised his focus on environmental issues on a local and national level. The candidate owns and operates a small farm in Spring Creek but works as an engineer in Brisbane. Mr Newport comes from a family “that has been farming on the same land on Keinjan, Giabel and Githabul Country for over 100 years”. To him, it is “obvious that the climate is becoming ever more erratic with longer droughts punctuated by more intense wets.”
He says that his long stint working with Queensland Rail and seeing endless coal trains “left no room for doubt as to the cause” in his mind and he is disappointed that renewables have largely been left in the hands of private investors.
“Our transport networks have been neglected by a succession of governments – at one time Allora had four train services a day, now the bridge into town hasn’t been repaired since the embankment was washed away in the 2011 floods,” Mr Newport points out, calling for better public transport and infrastructure.
The Southern Downs has been considered a safe seat for the LNP for decades, and Mr Newport is “realistic” about his chances.
“Change doesn’t happen overnight,” he said. “But people are fed up and they’re getting organised.”
