Labor’s suburban ‘community champions’ campaign for 2024 Brisbane City Council elections

The first five opposition candidates have been unveiled for the March 2024 local government elections.

Left to right: Candidates Vicki Ryan, Cath Palmer, Darren Mitchell, Labor council leader Jared Cassidy, candidates Taylar Wojtasik and Leah Malzard. Photo: Richard Walker

Labor’s campaign to end two decades of LNP dominance in Brisbane City Council will revolve around “community champions” with little political experience as candidates, and a focus on winning wards out in the suburbs “neglected” by the current administration.

The council opposition kicked off their bid for the March 2024 elections on Sunday by unveiling their first five candidates. All will contest wards on Brisbane’s northside, while the remaining 21 Labor candidates will be unveiled in the coming weeks and months.

However, Labor’s council leader Jared Cassidy would not be drawn on rumours around who will be his party’s Lord Mayoral candidate – with three names in the rumour mill already.

Former state government minister Kate Jones, now executive director at Tech Council of Australia and an Australian Rugby League commissioner, has been approached by Labor and pushed to run as the party’s Lord Mayoral candidate.

Jared Cassidy at Sunday’s announcement. Picture: Richard Walker

This week, Nine News reported Brisbane Broncos and Queensland Maroons legend Steve Renouf was in contention to be Labor’s candidate, but Mr Renouf denied this was the case.

Meanwhile, Brisbane lawyer Tracey Price seems to have thrown her hat into the ring by setting up her own website promoting herself as a strong community advocate and featuring pictures of herself wearing Labor colours. Her website was shared on Twitter by former LNP Brisbane Lord Mayor and Queensland Premier Campbell Newman on Twitter.

Cr Cassidy said on Sunday that Labor’s Lord Mayoral candidate had not yet been decided.

“Labor is going through a process of selecting candidates, the process of selecting our Lord Mayoral candidate is still underway. Expressions of interest are still open, I’ve seen lots of names thrown around, I know some people have formally expressed some interest,” he said.

Former Minister for State Development, Tourism and Innovation Kate Jones. Photo: NRL.

Three of the five Labor candidates announced on Sunday have some political experience.

Bracken Ridge Ward candidate Cath Palmer currently works as an electorate officer for Federal Labor MP Anika Wells, and ran as the Labor candidate in Bracken Ridge in 2016.

Marchant Ward candidate Darren Mitchell currently works as an electorate officer for State Labor MP Jimmy Sullivan.

Hamilton Ward candidate Leah Malzard ran as the Labor candidate in Hamilton in 2020.

Come the 2024 council elections, the LNP will have been in power in Brisbane City Council for 20 years through former Lord Mayors Campbell Newman (2004 – 2011) and Graham Quirk (2011 – 2019), and current Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner (2019 – present).

Cr Cassidy said Cr Schrinner had “neglected the suburbs” and the LNP administration is “focused on themselves and the inner-city”. He said his party’s path to victory would be through a suburban focus.

“The margins in these five wards here are very low – the LNP take their majority for granted in City Hall, but just a few thousand votes is the difference between an LNP majority and a Labor majority,” Cr Cassidy said.

“Labor wants to put downward pressure on suburban rates, deliver value-for-money projects for residents out in the suburbs, we are going to be focused all about service delivery in the suburbs of Brisbane.

“We want to see more footpaths, better drainage, more suburban congestion projects, and work with community housing projects to deliver affordable housing projects in the suburbs of Brisbane.”

Labor’s candidates for 2024 Brisbane City Council elections:

Vicki Ryan. Photo: Richard Walker.

Vicki Ryan – Northgate Ward

Vicki and her husband live in the area with their young son. She has been involved in local schools and sporting clubs. Vicki believes in positive action on climate change and wants more funding for local parks, footpaths, bushland, bikeways and clubs. The ward is held by LNP councillor Adam Allan, who was elected in 2016.

Cath Palmer. Photo: Richard Walker.

Cath Palmer – Bracken Ridge Ward

Cath lives in the area with her husband and five sons. She is a former local Quest community newspaper journalist and editor. Her connections to the Bracken Ridge area date back to the 1970s when her parents built their first home. The ward has been represented by LNP councillor Sandy Landers since 2019.

Darren Mitchell. Photo: Richard Walker.

Darren Mitchell – Marchant Ward

Darren lives in Kedron with his two sons. He led a successful campaign to overturn Brisbane City Council’s firepit laws and is involved in the fight to see Stafford Bowls Club remain a community asset after the derelict site’s lease was transferred to the Brisbane Racing Club. The ward has been represented by LNP councillor Fiona Hammond since 2008.

Taylar Wojtasik. Photo: Richard Walker.

Taylar Wojtasik – Enoggera Ward

Taylar has worked in law and is an advocate for survivors of domestic and family violence. She is an Enoggera local and an active executive member of the Mitchelton Rotary Club. The ward has been represented by LNP councillor Andrew Wines since 2008.

Leah Malzard. Photo: Richard Walker.

Leah Malzard – Hamilton Ward

Leah is an early childhood educator who lives in Hamilton. Her passions are fixing Brisbane’s broken footpaths, supporting women and children who are survivors of domestic and family violence, and supporting the ‘yes’ vote in the Voice to Parliament referendum. The ward has been represented by LNP councillor David McLachlan since 2006.