Qld election 2024 candidates for Wide Bay Burnett
The Wide Bay Burnett is home to Queensland’s most marginal state seats, and some of its safest. Meet every candidate vying for your vote come October 26.
Gympie
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The Wide Bay Burnett is home to two of Queensland’s most marginal state election seats, and among its most safest too, there is no shortage of potential for shock and intrigue at the October 26 election.
More than 40 hopefuls have thrown their hats into the ring to fight for election across the seven seats spread across the region’s 4.8 million ha size.
The four most prominent political parties in the state are well represented across the seven electorates, with the LNP, Labor, Greens and One Nation each running candidates in all seats.
Legalise Cannabis Queensland is running four candidates, and Family First has three candidates.
Eight candidates are standing as Independents across the Wide Bay Burnett.
BUNDABERG
Tom Smith – Labor (incumbent)
Tom Smith, Member for Bundaberg since 2020 after winning the seat by a 0.01 per cent margin, served as the region’s MP after working as a teacher and advocating for education and healthcare in regional communities.
He has been a vocal supporter of the new Bundaberg Hospital and local job growth, emphasising the importance of accessible services for all.
Nat Baker – Greens
Nat Baker, the Greens candidate for Bundaberg, has few personal details about her background included on her Greens’ candidate website.
Her party policies include pushing for affordable living solutions, public services, and challenging big business interests.
Ms Baker outlines plans for public housing, free transport, and renewable energy, alongside opposition to corporate influence.
They call for a shift from traditional party politics to address issues like rent, groceries, and essential services costs.
Bree Watson – LNP
LNP candidate Bree Watson is a Bundaberg local with a strong background in agribusiness and community advocacy whose background includes serving as CEO of Bundaberg Fruit and Vegetable Growers.
Ms Watson is standing on issues like the long-delayed Paradise Dam repairs and flood mitigation, saying these as failures of the current government.
Her platform includes ensuring better regional funding and job opportunities through her experience in workforce development.
Alan Corbett – Independent
Alan Corbett is a former member of the New South Wales parliament and moved to Queensland after serving an eight year term.
He has previously stood as an independent candidate for Bundaberg at the 2017 election, and has been Vice President and Secretary of the Moore Park Beach Community Association and a community representative and activist against the proposed Bundaberg coal mine.
Ian Zunker – Legalise Cannabis Queensland
Ian Zunker, Vice President of the LCQ Party, is running a policy for calling for marijuana to be legalised due to his personal experience managing chronic pain and Multiple Sclerosis.
Mr Zunker said health journey has inspired him to support homegrown marijuana for medical use, patient rights, and energy-efficient housing.
He wants a shift in policy to support the wellbeing of patients and sustainable living.
Alberto Carvalho – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Sixty-one-year-old father of three Alberto Carvalho is running as One Nation’s candidate in the Bundaberg region.
Mr Carvalho’s party candidate page says he has lived in seven countries across three continents, and “driven by conservative family values, a passion for free speech, and a commitment to ensuring the government minimises its intervention in the private lives of individuals”.
He has a master’s degree in dental health has previously worked as a university lecturer.
Geoff Warham – Independent
Former Bundaberg council division 7 candidate Geoff Warham is now vying for the city’s state seat as an independent.
Mr Warham, who finished third at the March 2024 local government elections with 12 per cent of the primary vote, is a former Coles online manager shared his connection to the region, which was driven by raising three children in Bundaberg.
BURNETT
Stephen Bennett – LNP (incumbent)
Stephen is a long-term resident of Central Queensland who began his career cutting railway sleepers.
He has earned degrees in public sector management and held various roles in construction and the Department of Public Works before being elected member for Burnett in 2012.
Esther Vale – Greens
Esther Vale, the Greens candidate for Burnett, is running on the Greens’ statewide policy for affordable housing, free public services, and tackling corporate influence in politics.
These include the Greens’ stance against corporate donations and promises policies such as rent control, renewable energy, and expanded public transport.
No details about Ms Vale’s background are listed on her Greens candidate page.
Arno Blank – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Arno Blank, One Nation’s candidate for Burnett, is a former commercial fisherman with a focus on reducing cost-of-living pressures and limiting immigration until housing concerns are resolved.
He is frustrated with government inaction on key issues such as supermarket price gouging, fuel costs, and electricity prices.
Kerri Morgan – Labor
Moore Park Beach resident Kerri Morgan is Labor’s challenger for the Burnett seat.
Mrs Morgan has lived at Moore Park Beach for 15 years, and raised her children in the beachside township and worked as a nurse for 30 years.
Her election platform includes supporting Labor’s plans for the training and hiring of more nurses in regional areas.
Malcolm Parry – Legalise Cannabis Queensland
No details are yet available for Malcolm parry, who has registered as Legalise Cannabis Queensland’s Callide candidate.
Paul Hudson – Independent
No details are yet available about Paul Hudson, who is running as an independent at Callide.
CALLIDE
Bryson Head – LNP (incumbent)
Chinchilla geologist and farming advocate Bryson Head was elected to the Callide seat at a 2022 by-election.
Mr Head’s career in geology, which has included working as exploration geologist at a Central Queensland coal mine, has taken him not only across Queensland and New South Wales, but to Canada.
Matthew Passant – Greens
Matthew Passant is running as the Greens’ candidate for the Callide seat.
His candidate profile on the Greens page says he is standing on the party’s statewide policies of rent and mortgage relief, and cost of living pressure.
No details about Mr Passant’s background are listed on the Greens website.
Christopher O’Callaghan – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Forty-eight-year-old tradie and father of two, Christopher O’Callaghan is One Nation’s candidate for the Callide seat.
Mr O’Callaghan, a self-employed contractor who has most recently been working on the construction of water treatment plants, says on the party’s website his platform is ending the inaction of the major political parties.
Samantha Dendle – Labor
Samantha Dendle is running as Labor’s Callide candidate after being named the 2024 Banana Shire Young Australian of the Year.
Ms Dendle’s resume includes time as the deputy premier of the YMCA’s Queensland Youth parliament in 2023.
Her election platform includes delivering cost of living relief, quality healthcare closer to home and better jobs as part of the Labor team.
John Whittle – Family First Party
No details about John Whittle are available on the Family First website.
Mr Whittle’s election platform is in line with Family First’s wider policies of “believes strong families, freedom for faith, and protecting the most vulnerable are critical for the future of our community and our state”.
Duncan Scott – Independent
Former dairy farmer Duncan Scott is running as an Independent for the Callide seat, having previously taken a tilt at it in 2015 and a shot at the federal seat of Flynn in 2022.
His career has included serving in the Army Reserves and working in the forestry industry.
GYMPIE
Tony Perrett – LNP (incumbent)
Tony Perrett has held Gympie’s state seat since 2015, with his election following a several years serving as a member of Gympie Regional Council.
Mr Perrett owns and runs a cattle farm near Kilkivan, and since 2018? has served as the Opposition spokesman for Agriculture.
Emma Buhse – Greens
Emma Buhse is making her first foray into politics, and has lived in the Gympie region for 20 years and been a frequent volunteer in the community.
As someone with a disability which has left her reliant on a wheelchair, Ms Buhse’ is running on a platform of improved services for the region, as well as dealing with wider cost of living and housing affordability issues.
Lachlan Anderson – Labor
Lachlan Anderson is standing for his first election after a career as a “casual academic” and project officer.
Mr Anderson is a fourth-generation resident of the Gympie region, having attended Gympie South State Primary School, Gympie State High School, and the University of the Sunshine Coast holding and a Bachelor of Arts and with a Degree in Migration Law at the Victoria University.
Mr Anderson’s platform includes fighting to cost of living and housing relief, and transitioning to cleaner energy.
Katy McCallum – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Kilkivan small business owner and former police officer Katy McCallum is running as One Nation’s candidate for the seat of Gympie.
Ms McCallum, married and a mother of two, owns and operates the general store and cafe in Kilkivan following a 16-year career in the Police service.
Ms McCallum has been leading a charge against the impact of renewable energy projects in Gympie’s west, including state plans to run high voltage transmission lines from Borumba Dam to Woolooga as part of a proposed pumped hydro project.
HERVEY BAY
Adrian Tantari – Labor (incumbent)
Adrian Tantari is the sitting Labor member for Hervey Bay.
He was elected in 2020 when the seat was considered to be a “safe” seat for the LNP, which had held it with Ted Sorensen since 2009.
David Lee – LNP
Former Fraser Coast councillor David Lee is running for the LNP.
He moved to Hervey Bay seven years ago and describes himself as an avid volunteer and advocate for the region.
Quinn Hendry – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Hervey Bay’s One Nation candidate is 53 years old and was born in Brisbane.
He has lived in Hervey Bay for more than 25 years and he is a self employed musician.
Jeff Knipe – Legalise Cannabis Queensland
Jeff Knipe is Hervey Bay’s Legalise Cannabis Queensland candidate.
After surviving cancer twice in the past six years, he wants to fight for Queenslanders to grow their own medication to treat their own symptoms.
Pat Walsh – Greens
Greens’ candidate Pat Walsh is no stranger to elections, having run for the Ipswich Mayoral seat at the 2020 local government elections.
Mr Walsh’s candidate page details an election platform based on the party’s nationwide policies of addressing the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, and addressing energy transition and climate change.,
MARYBOROUGH
Bruce Saunders – Labor (incumbent)
The sitting Labor member for Maryborough is the current Assistant Minister for Train Manufacturing, Regional Development and Jobs.
He has been the member for Maryborough since 2015.
Taryn Gillard – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Taryn Gillar is a mother of four children who immigrated to Tasmania from Zimbabwe before she was a year old.
Ms Gillard been involved in community fundraisers, participating in community events and starting a food program for those in need during the pandemic.
John Barounis – LNP
Born in Greece, John Barounis is the current candidate for the LNP.
An experienced businessman, Mr Barounis along with his wife Tricia have owned and managed a number of leasehold and freehold motels in Queensland.
Kerry Petrus – Family First Party
Kerry Petrus is the Family First Party Queensland candidate for Maryborough.
She is a teacher at Carinity Education Glendyne, with her party’s candidate page outlining an election platform built on “strong families, freedom for faith, and protecting the most vulnerable are critical for the future of our community and our state”.
Lauren Granger-Brown – Greens
Lauren Granger-Brown is making her second run at a Queensland seat, this time at Maryborough following an unsuccessful bid for the Gympie seat held by the LNP’s Tony Perrett in 2020.
Ms Granger-Brown, an English language teacher, moved to the Wide Bay in 2011.
Her election platform is aligned with the Greens’ nationwide policies of addressing the cost of living crisis, the housing crisis, and addressing energy transition and climate change.
Jamie Miller – Independent
No details are available yet about Jamie Miller, who is running as an Independent at Maryborough.
Daniel James Beattie – Independent
Former Fraser Coast Regional Council division 4 candidate Daniel Beattie is challenging for the Maryborough seat as an Independent at the October 26 election.
Mr Beattie lost the seat at the March 2024 council election to Daniel Sanderson after receiving 31 per cent of the vote.
NANANGO
Deb Frecklington – LNP (incumbent)
Deb Frecklington has held the Nanango seat since 2012 and held it for the 12 years since, a term which has included a stint as the leader of the Opposition and contesting former Labor leader Annastacia Palaszczuck for Premier in 2020.
In early 2024 Ms Frecklington was appointed the Opposition spokesman for energy, an area which emerged as a major battleground in the lead-up to the election.
Vel Heward – Labor
Vel Heward is a South Burnett local having been born in Nanango and lived in Kilcoy for 40 years.
Ms Heward has been a Minister with the Wamuran Spiritualist Church, and has spent her life listening to and advocating for the region and its residents.
Her election platform is built on Labor’s policies for better access to health services closer to home and delivering well paid secure jobs for the regions.
Adam Maslen – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation
Telecommunications engineer and military service veteran Adam Maslen is running as One Nation’s candidate for the Nanango seat.
Mr Maslen’s platform includes addressing the infrastructure needs of Nanango, ensuring that roads are well-maintained, and ensuring hospitals are adequately equipped to meet the community’s healthcare needs.
He is further advocating for an education system with unbiased teachings, steering clear of gender ideology and Marxist ideals, his candidate page says.
Angus Ryan – Greens
Angus Ryan is running as the Greens’ candidate for Nanango.
No details about Mr Ryan’s background are available on the party’s candidate website.
Mr Ryan’s listed policy platforms are in line with those being rolled out by the Greens’ statewide in the election calling for cost of living and housing relief.
Anthony Hopkins – Legalise Cannabis Queensland
Anthony Hopkins has lived in Queensland for 30 years, spending his career working in the state’s mines and quarries, as well as the pharmaceutical industry.
Mr Hopkins’s candidate web page says he is a longtime advocate for marijuana reform, and is now running as the Legalise Cannabis Queensland candidate for Nanango.
He has previously been a member of the Labor Party.
Jason Miles – Independent
Former Great Australian party candidate Jason Miles is now running as an Independent at Nanango.
He has previously run for a federal senate seat at the 2022 election.
Mr Miles election platform includes addressing “urgent” issues with Nanango’s our roads, healthcare, water, housing, and energy solutions that are safe, affordable, reliable, and don’t destroy our natural landscapes and our agricultural industry, his website says.
Nathan Hope – Independent
No details are available yet about Independent candidate Nathan Hope.
Benjamin Mitchell – Family First Party
Benjamin Mitchell is standing as the Family First Party’s Nanango candidate.
The party’s website does not include any details about Mr Mitchell, and reiterates the party’s statewide policy positions “ strong families, freedom for faith, and protecting the most vulnerable are critical for the future of our community and our state”.
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