Bauke Hovinga running as Labor candidate in Whitsunday, Susan Teder running in Mirani

One seat is held on a winnable margin by the LNP, the other held tighter by a former One Nation candidate who’s now with the Katters. Will these health workers have the cure for Labor?

Bauke Hovinga (left) will be contesting the Whitsunday seat in the 2024 Queensland election and Susan Teder (right) will be contesting Mirani. (L-R) Bauke Hovinga, Premier Steven Miles, Mackay candidate Belinda Hassan and Susan Teder. Picture: Fergus Gregg

An emergency care doctor and a social worker have been picked as Labor’s candidates for two Central Queensland seats held by incumbents on winnable and tough margins.

Dr Bauke Hovinga, previously employed by Mackay Base Hospital as an emergency medicine staff specialist, has been named for the Whitsunday seat.

Amanda Camm currently holds Whitsunday for the LNP, winning it in 2020, with less than 100 first preference votes separating her from then-Labor candidate Angie Kelly.

After preferences were taken into account, the final split was 53.3 per cent to 46.7 per cent in Ms Camm’s favour.

Speaking briefly to the Daily Mercury at a press conference hosted by Steven Miles in Mackay, Dr Hovinga said he supported the premier’s plan to construct a new satellite hospital in Mackay and agreed with the health care plans and initiatives.

Bauke Hovinga is the Labor candidate for the Whitsunday seat, contesting the 2024 Queensland election. Picture: Linkedin/Bauke Hovinga

Susan Teder has been named as the candidate for the Mirani seat.

Ms Teder is a social worker with expertise in trauma counselling, and the practice manager of Wellminds, based in Mackay.

“Roads are a big issue and I’d like to look at mental health support in the area as well”, Ms Teder said.

Mirani is currently held by Stephen Andrew, who retained his seat for the second term as a One Nation candidate in 2020, increasing his margin against the Labor party candidate (Shane Hamilton) by 4.2 per cent.

Mr Andrew had 59 per cent of the vote after preferences were tallied.
He was disendorsed as a One Nation candidate in August and has since joined the Katter’s Australian Party.

The Katters did not run a Mirani candidate in the 2020 election.