LNP rookie takes on Katter's man

LNP candidate for Beaudesert Jon Krause will attempt to unseat sitting member Aidan McLindon, of Katter's Australia Party.

LNP’s Beaudesert candidate Jon Krause.

RISING costs of living and a lack of infrastructure investment in the electorate have been identified as key policy issues by LNP candidate for Beaudesert Jon Krause.

The 30-year-old former solicitor has been living in Frenches Creek, outside of Boonah, since he married a Boonah local in 2007.

While Mr Krause will attempt to unseat sitting member Aidan McLindon, of Katter's Australia Party, he said his real opposition was the Labor Party.

"If the people of Beaudesert want a change of government they've got to vote LNP," he said.

"Beaudesert has been neglected and has been starved of funding.

"I'll make sure the Beaudesert electorate gets the infrastructure and health services it deserves."

Mr Krause said he had received a strong response from residents of the electorate to his candidacy.

"I want to make a difference and make things better for our state," he said.

Mr Krause said he understood many residents of the electorate were concerned about the potential impact of coal seam gas on the region, and he believed there needed to be a balance.

"Personally I believe coal seam gas exploration permits should never have been issued in the Scenic Rim," he said. "(However,) the LNP wants to get the balance right between landholders and miners and take into account people's environmental concerns.

"These were all done while Labor was in power and Mr McLindon was the member for Beaudesert."

Mr Krause grew up on a dairy farm at Marburg and went to school at Ipswich Grammar.

Since it's creation in 1991 the seat of Beaudesert has been won by National or LNP candidates.

At the 2009 state election then LNP member Aidan McLindon won the seat with nearly 60% of the two party preferred vote, beating out ALP candidate Brett McCreadie and stopping Pauline Hanson's return to state politics.

Less than a year into his term Mr McLindon challenged sitting LNP deputy leader Laurence Springborg for his position - a challenge he lost.

Soon after this he resigned from the LNP to sit as an independent, before forming the Queensland Party.

Mr McLindon claimed the LNP was not yet ready to challenge for government and he was not convinced by the party's then leaders.

However, this too was to come to an end when Mr McLindon joined Katter's Australia Party to become its state parliamentary leader in August.

2009 Results

The 2009 state election saw then LNP member Aidan McLindon the runaway winner in the seat of Beaudesert, winning 37.9% of the primary vote.

ALP candidate Brett McCreadie trailed with 24.8%, only points in front of conservative then independent Pauline Hanson, in the first of her comebacks, on 21.2%.

The seat also saw candidates from the Greens, the Daylight Savings for south east Queensland Party and two other independent candidates.

Originally published as LNP rookie takes on Katter's man