Federal election 2025: Greens name Emma Buhse as Wide Bay candidate

The fight for the 2025 federal election is underway, with the Greens’ Wide Bay candidate Emma Buhse citing cost of living, housing and local health services as major planks of her campaign platform.

Gympie’s Emma Buhse has thrown her hat into the ring for the federal seat of Wide Bay, standing as the region’s Greens’ candidate to challenge incumbent LNP MP Llew O’Brien.

Former Gympie state Greens’ candidate Emma Buhse is eyeing taking incumbent LNP MP Llew O’Brien’s job after being named the Greens’ candidate for this year’s federal election.

Ms Buhse’s nomination was announced late Thursday afternoon in a statement by the Greens.

The 2025 nominee for both Gympie’s Citizen of the Year and Resilience Award claimed 8 per cent of the primary vote at the October 2024 state election, the party’s best result in the seat since 2015.

In the statement Ms Buhse said she was running on the longstanding cost-of-living, housing, and local health issues.

“Many people in our community are struggling to keep their heads above water as rent and grocery prices continue to go up, the number of people without a home is growing, while our local support services are underfunded and understaffed,” Ms Buhse said.

‘Want to save it’: Plans for $18.4bn hydro project under microscope

Residents up in arms at road damage caused by solar farm traffic

Gympie’s Emma Buhse has thrown her hat into the ring for the federal seat of Wide Bay, standing as the region’s Greens’ candidate to challenge incumbent LNP MP Llew O’Brien.

“The major parties cannot fix the problems we face because they are too busy pandering to big corporations, one in three of whom pay no tax.

“As a person living with a disability, I want to use my lived experience to fight for better services for the vulnerable in our community and ensure that everyone has access to a decent home, food on the table, and world class health and education.”

Senator Larissa Waters, who is running for re-election to the Senate for the Greens, said Ms Buhse’s candidacy was a breath of fresh air.

“Emma is a caring, compassionate and hardworking advocate for her community, Ms Waters said.

“We need more people like her in parliament who will represent the interests of the community, not the interests of corporations and billionaires as the major parties do,” she said.

The Wide Bay seat, which covers from Noosa to Maryborough and west of Gympie, has been held by Mr O’Brien since 2016.