Push for more women and people from multicultural backgrounds to run as LNP candidates
David Crisafulli will push for women and people from multicultural backgrounds to run as LNP candidates in some of the most important seats for the party.
QLD News
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David Crisafulli will push for women, people from multicultural backgrounds and small business operators to be the LNP’s candidates in the winnable seats they need to clinch government in a bid to diversify the party.
In an interview with The Courier-Mail, the LNP leader vowed to personally seek out people from such backgrounds to run as candidates for the party – declaring it a test for his leadership.
Mr Crisafulli acknowledged the LNP could do more to preselect more women to run as candidates for the parliamentary team, with women currently making up six of their 34 member party room.
“Let’s say we need 14 seats to win government with a good majority,” Mr Crisafulli said.
“As a starting point, it would be good if the majority of candidates across those 14 seats were women, people with multicultural backgrounds, people running small businesses … (and) parents.
“I will be held accountable to deliver reform in our candidates – that will be on me.
“And the commitment I give is that people will see candidates from a broader breadth of background and in those winnable seats.”
His comments come after a significant three days for the LNP, which saw the elevation of party stalwart Lawrence Springborg to the party presidency and the scrapping of the powerful president’s committee.
Mr Crisafulli attributed Labor’s three decades of electoral success in Queensland to reforms former Premier Wayne Goss made to Labor in the 1980s, saying the LNP can learn “lots” from their rival party.
“It only happened because a guy called Wayne Goss did exactly what I’m doing today,” he said.
“Wayne Goss led the reform of the Labor Party in the late 80s and I’m determined to lead the same reform for my side of politics 30 years on.”
Mr Crisafulli yesterday said he was “very pleased” with the result in the Stretton by-election, despite the LNP losing the safe Labor seat – with Labor’s candidate on track to win with over 50 per cent of the primary vote.
“The symbolism of us having a crack in a tough area shows that we’ve got the ticker and the fact that we’ve got a swing towards us is the first step on a journey towards winning seats … on Brisbane’s southside,” Mr Crisafulli said.
On polling night, former LNP Premier Campbell Newman took to social media to claim the LNP’s candidate had been “let down by a party and leadership that never stands up for anything”.
Former LNP leader Deb Frecklington, who faced internal polling leaks ahead of the 2020 election, yesterday welcomed Mr Springborg’s elevation as party president, describing him as a “safe set of hands”.
She said he would bring the parliamentary wing and the party wing of the LNP together.
“It’s something that I’ve been calling for and encouraged Lawrence to put his hand up for president, as did Peter Dutton and David Littleproud,” Ms Frecklington said.
“Lawrence has a great understanding of the parliamentary wing and the relationship that we need to have to have a cohesive party.”
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