Ali France set to take on Peter Dutton in Dickson for third time

Ali France is confident it will be third time lucky in ousting Peter Dutton in the federal seat of Dickson – and this battle round she is more motivated than ever.

Ali France will run against Peter Dutton in the seat of Dickson at the next federal election. Picture: Annette Dew

Ali France is confident it will be third time lucky in ousting Peter Dutton as the federal member for Dickson – and this battle round she is more motivated than ever, thanks to her beloved late son Henry.

Speaking exclusively to The Courier-Mail after being endorsed on Friday as Labor’s candidate for the outer northwestern Brisbane division, Ms France believes she can win.

“Henry and I, we talked a lot about me running for Dickson again, and he wanted to be part of it; sadly that wasn’t to be,” she said.

Ali France says her son’s encouragement of her political endeavours has motivated her in her latest run for office. Picture: Annette Dew

Henry, whom Ms France described as “one of a kind; he was heaven and earth”, died of leukaemia on February 20 this year.

The Marist Brothers Ashgrove old boy, diagnosed at the end of his 2022 senior year, was 19.

Tragically, Henry’s passing came five months after his father (and Ms France’s ex-husband) Clive France lost his own battle with cancer.

Ms France, 51, said she was grieving her son every day but “felt better throwing my efforts into something important”.

“I feel Henry with me, and it helps knowing that this is something he wanted me to do – and I am trying to live with passion and gusto like he did, and I hope to make a difference,” she said.

Ali France on election night in 2022 with sons Zac, 15, and Henry. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Ms France has dealt with significant loss in her life, having her left leg amputated below the knee after an horrific incident in 2011 when an elderly driver slammed into her in an Ashgrove shopping centre car park.

In the split second before impact, she tried to push her younger Zac (now 17 but then in a stroller) out of the way.

“I think when you go through the loss or your leg and now the loss of a child, there’s a sharper focus on what’s important,” she said.

Ms France, who ran against Mr Dutton in 2019 and 2021, said it would be tough to topple him.

“I know it’s going to be a hard slog – it’s been hard every time, I’m up against someone who is very well-known and he’s also now the Opposition Leader.

“But that doesn’t deter me. I’ll be campaigning on the three big issues of cost of living, housing and health, and yeah, I have it in me to win.”

Peter Dutton at the LNP 2024 Convention in South Brisbane earlier this month. Picture: Richard Walker

Ms France said when Henry’s condition worsened in January this year, she abandoned plans to contest the division.

“When I found out he had relapsed, I said, ‘I don’t think I will be running for Dickson, sweetie, I need to be here for you’.

“He said, ‘I’ll be fine, mum’, and I said, ‘but darling, you don’t understand that things will get tougher, and at the end of the day it’s my choice’.

“Henry would always say, ‘don’t make me the excuse for you not doing important things’.

”He was just one of a kind; he was heaven and earth, I miss him every day but am hoping to turn this struggle into something positive.”

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Originally published as Ali France set to take on Peter Dutton in Dickson for third time