Biloela’s Bronwyn Dendle to contest Callide for Labor in by-election
A Central Qld woman with more than 20 years frontline experience supporting rural communities and co-founder of the Home to Bilo campaign to help the Murugappan family will contest Callide for Labor in the upcoming by-election. Here’s what we know.
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A Biloela woman with more than 20 years frontline experience supporting rural communities in Central Queensland and co-founder of the Home to Bilo campaign to help the Murugappan family will contest Callide for Labor in the upcoming by-election.
Bronwyn Dendle was born and raised in Monto and now lives in Biloela with her husband Matt and five children.
Ms Dendle works for CQ Rural Health and has worked in health, mental health, disability and community sectors across Central Queensland.
“As a lifetime local, I have spent my working life fighting for our community and for regional Queensland because for too long we have seen this community be taken for granted by the LNP,” she said.
With her background qualifications in social work, economics and political science, Ms Dendle has a strong social justice framework, and serves as a board director on a number of rural community organisations.
As the co-founder of the Home to Bilo campaign, Ms Dendle has proven she will stand up for rural Queenslanders to the highest level of government.
Home to Bilo is a group made up of Biloela residents, family friends and supporters who came together to help Nades, Priya and their girls after they were taken from their home and placed in detention.
Interim Home Affairs Minister Jim Chalmers exercised his power under the Migration Act on Friday afternoon, May 27, to intervene in the family’s case to allow them to return home.
Voters in the Central Queensland electorate of Callide will vote for their new state parliamentarian on June 18 after former Callide MP, Colin Boyce was elected to the federal electorate of Flynn on May 21.
In March, the Liberal National Party announced Bryson Head would be its candidate.
Other candidates include One Nation’s Sharon Lohse and Biloela independent Adam Burling.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk announced Ms Dendle would join her team to contest Callide for Labor on Tuesday and said the Biloela woman had the experience and energy to be a strong voice for the Callide electorate.
“While Callide has been in the hands of the LNP since 1950, our government has always been one focused on representing all of Queensland” Ms Palaszczuk said.
“We need more local champions like Bronwyn, a regional Queenslander who has spent her life standing up for rural communities, most recently playing a pivotal role on the Home to Bilo campaign.”
State Secretary of Queensland Labor Julie-Ann Campbell said Ms Dendle had shown herself to a be a true advocate for regional Queenslanders and would stand up for her local community in the Queensland Government.
Early voting will begin from Monday, June 6, excluding weekends.
Voting is compulsory for people enrolled to vote in Callide.
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