Qld election 2024: LNP to run female candidates in half of winnable seats

David Crisafulli has fulfilled a promise to run female candidates in at least half of the most winnable seats the LNP is contesting.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli with LNP candidate for Aspley Amanda Cooper (left) and candidate for Pumicestone Ariana Doolan.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli has fulfilled a promise to put forward female candidates in at least half of the 14 most winnable seats the Liberal National Party is contesting in the October state election.

Mr Crisafulli staked his leadership on the pledge – which was understood to have been met with some internal party resistance – in 2021, and has now endorsed two additional female candidates.

The Opposition Leader told The Courier-Mail the intent was to deliver generational change by choosing candidates who would reflect a modern Queensland.

“I promised Queenslanders we would secure more young candidates, more women, more people from small and family business and more candidates from culturally diverse backgrounds,” he said.

“I promised to put forward strong female candidates in at least seven of the 14 most marginal electorates in the state and I promised to do it by identifying quality candidates for our party volunteers to support, not by quotas.”

The new candidates set to contest Aspley and Pumicestone include ex-Brisbane city councillor Amanda Cooper and 22-year-old environmental advocate Ariana Doolan.

The announcement means that in Queensland’s 14 most marginal seats – with 14 the number the LNP needs to flip to oust Premier Steven Miles and win government – 10 will be contested by women.

Should Mr Crisafulli win the October ballot it would mean a likely surge in the number of LNP women in parliament – where currently just six of the 34 LNP members are female.

“To have not just met the promise but exceeded it so comprehensively shows generational change for our party and hopefully our parliament,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“These are women who bring a wealth of knowledge and strength to the table, and will be strong advocates for their communities if given the opportunity to represent them.

“A promise should be more than words, it should be a matter of trust, which is why I staked my leadership on succeeding in this task.

“For too long we have seen important promises amount to nothing from the current government, which is how we got to the point of crisis in housing, health, youth crime and cost of living.”