Karen Andrews: Who will replace LNP McPherson MP in parliament after retirement announcement
LNP members across the Gold Coast are preparing to battle it out to replace Karen Andrews as the next Member for McPherson. We run down some of the key candidates.
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Long-serving Gold Coast federal MP Karen Andrews has stood down from the Opposition frontbench and will retire from politics at the next election setting off a succession battle.
Ms Andrews, who entered federal parliament in 2010, made the shock announcement on Tuesday morning, blindsiding colleagues and LNP members.
Ms Andrew said she had been considering her future for “some time” and described serving as Home Affairs Minister in the Morrison Government as “the greatest honour” of her life.
“I’m very comfortable with the decision that I made. I am standing back from the frontbench, very comfortably. I’m very happy to do that,” she said.
“I think this was the right time for this to happen. I’m comfortable with my decision not to recontest, and I look forward to working with whoever the party chooses to be the next candidate for McPherson.
“I am proud to have been the first female Queensland MP in a Cabinet role, and I am even prouder of the strong work the Coalition did in government to safeguard Australia’s national security.
“I look forward to continuing to serve my constituents with honour and diligence until the next election, and represent their concerns as the Federal Member for McPherson.”
The news came as a shock to many LNP figures outside of McPherson.
“Inside McPherson there was a mood for renewal despite Karen’s long service,” an LNP source said.
Party members are now considering whether to throw their hats into the ring for the southern Gold Coast seat.
including lawyer Leon Rebello, small business owner Karly Abbott, southern Gold Coast lawyer Ben Naday who is the head of the McPherson LNP branch, Robina councillor Hermann Vorster and Mayor Tom Tate.
An LNP figure said: “It came out of absolutely nowhere and there was no inkling that this was coming.
“McPherson is a blue ribbon seat so there is going to be a lot of interest in this one and expect to see a lot of people put themselves forward.
“Right now Ben Naday would be the obvious frontrunner given he’s worked for Karen previously, is a long-time party member, is young and in his 30s and would be a good candidate.”
Both Mr Vorster and Mr Tate ruled out a tilt, with Mr Tate saying he was focused on his council re-election campaign and delivering for the city.
“Interesting news about the retirement of the Member for McPherson and I would encourage the party to pick the best talent, regardless of gender, age or ethnicity,” he said.
“That is what Australia is about, putting your best foot forward. As for my future I am focused on getting the light rail to Coolangatta for the 2032 Olympics.”
Ms Andrews said her replacement would be “a matter for the Party to determine” and that she would not have a direct role in their choosing.
“The sooner in my view, we get someone on the ground out there working the community, the better,” she said.
With the election not expected to be held until mid-2025, it is unknown when a preselection contest will be held to name Ms Andrews’ successor.
Ms Andrews’ fellow Gold Coast MPs paid tribute to her career. It began when she unexpectedly defeated now-Opposition Leader Peter Dutton for preselection following the retirement of her predecessor, Margaret May.
Moncrieff MP Angie Bell said: “Karen has been an excellent local Member for McPherson, representing Gold Coasters in Canberra.
“I thank her for her dedication and hard work for the party and the Australian people, and I wish her well on her future endeavours.”
Fadden MP Stuart Robert, who has served alongside Ms Andrews since she first entered parliament, said she had been “a champion for the Gold Coast since day one”.
“She will be missed as a colleague and a friend in Parliament,” he said.
“Our community can be proud of her achievements for the Gold Coast, notably her tireless efforts to upgrade the M1, which successive Federal LNP governments have delivered.
“I am sure Karen will continue fighting for the Gold Coast right up until the next election.”
Ms Andrews holds McPherson on a margin of 9.3 per cent.
A safe LNP seat, Ms Andrews nevertheless saw a 4.7 per cent swing against her at the May 2022 election which saw the Coalition lose power after nearly a decade in office.
In Opposition the 62-year-old retained the key Home Affairs portfolio.
Looking back on her time in office, Ms Andrews said she was proud of her achievements in office and thanked her “loving” family, staff and federal police who had protected her.
“(I’m proud of) introducing world-leading legislation to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure – to stand up our manufacturing sector to create Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and other items for our national stockpile during the Covid-19 pandemic, to strengthen our nation’s space sector by positioning Australia on the global map, to drive gender equity in (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) STEM, and many other things that I will never, ever forget we achieved in my lifetime and during my time in service,” she said.
“I want to thank my loving family for their unwavering support and their endless understanding of my demanding travel schedule, constant phone interruptions and for regularly cutting short our Sunday lunches to fly down to Canberra.”
THE MOMENT KAREN ANDREWS ANNOUNCED HER EXIT
McPherson MP Karen Andrews walked across the road from her listening post - engaging with the community at an Elanora shopping centre - to call time on her 14 year political career.
After 15 minutes of questions on the windy banks of a lake outside The Pines – she returned to that post, speaking to constituents as they shopped.
The Liberal MP on Tuesday morning announced her retirement at the next election. She also stood down from the opposition front bench immediately.
She made the announcement via a press release then at a media conference.
On arrival she was asked to wait for set up to finish, chatted casually with reporters, asking about their day and said she spent the morning talking to Tugun residents.
Dressed casually in a light button down shirt and dark pants, she appeared relaxed as she explained her retirement.
She did not appear to feel any weight from the announcement.
“There is no one single thing that brought me to the conclusion I will not be seeking re-election,” she said.
“There is a range of factors.”
The retirement has been in the works, with Ms Andrews saying she had told Liberal leader Peter Dutton of her plans after the 2022 election.
He refused her offer to step down from the front bench, she said.
Ms Andrews said she still had belief in the Liberal party despite recent bad polling and the Aston bi-election defeat.
“I believe wholly and solely in the principles of the Liberal party. What we need to get better at is communicating that broadly.”
Ms Andrews said the federal opposition position on the Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum was not a factor.
She gave an answer similar to other Liberal party colleagues saying she had concerns about the wording of the question.
She said she would not campaign for the “No” position.
Ms Andrews was the first Queensland woman to serve on cabinet and Home Affairs Minister in Scott Morrison’s government, officially reopening the country to the world post-Covid.
But she was proudest of smaller moments.
“I recall one young woman who had a life-threatening blood disease and just to be one of the people that worked with her to get her medication so she could go on and live was one of the highlights,” she said.
Regrets? “I tend not to have any. Are there some things I would have done differently?
“The more politicians can be out in their own community the better. I’d have liked to have been out there even more.”
She advised her successor to “make sure you are out there working with your community as much as you possibly can. I’d hope whoever is selected to replace me is local through and through.”
She thanked the media and walked back across the road to The Pines, continuing to speak to constituents as they shopped.
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