Voters head to the polling booths to vote for state MPs in Central Qld

Only one Central Qld seat is left to be called as a blue wave creeps into Labor heartland. See our local 2024 state election blog here.

Central Queenslanders go to the polls in today’s state election with a number of hotly contested seats sitting on a knife-edge.

Central Queenslanders went to the polls with two hotly contested seats sitting on a knife-edge, and the people have spoken.

Shockingly one of the earliest to be called was the Labor seat of Keppel, which fell to the LNP.

Unsurprisingly, Callide MP Bryson Head retained the seat for the LNP, as did popular Barcaldine Shire Mayor Sean Dillon who ran for Gregory for the LNP after Lachlan Millar’s retirement.

Labor Gladstone MP and former Miles Government Minister Glenn Butcher also held his seat, but with a significantly reduced margin.

ROCKHAMPTON: Labor refuses to concede

Labor could lose the seat of Rockhampton to the LNP’s Donna Kirkland.

While businesswoman and LNP candidate Donna Kirkland has claimed an historic victory as the person to wrest the seat of Rockhampton from Labor after 92 years, and the first woman to ever represent the electorate, her rival candidate refuses to concede.

Mr Marshall, Labor’s candidate in place of the return Barry O’Rourke said he was still in with a “fighting chance” as he trailed Donna Kirkland 51.71 per cent to 48.29 per cent on preferences with 72.55 per cent tallied on Sunday afternoon.

A Liberal has not held the seat of Rockhampton since 1912.

Labor candidate for Rockhampton Craig Marshall at the polling booths on election day.

Mr Marshall, a healthcare worker and foster carer, was striving to retain the seat for his party following the retirement of Barry O’Rourke who won in 2017 after succeeding Bill Byrne who retired due to ill-health.

Margaret Strelow was initially a strong contender but Mr Marshall said her preferences gave him a “fighting chance”.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

KEPPEL: MP ‘heartbroken’ by election loss

Labor Keppel MP Brittany Lauga voting for the third time at Mount Archer State School during her parliamentary career with her daughter and partner in tow.

Labor Keppel MP Brittany Lauga has conceded defeat with LNP candidate Nigel Hutton holding 34.84 per cent of the votes counted.

Speaking to Labor supporters, she said they had achieved amazing things in her time at Queensland Parliament.

“I feel your heart breaking, because my heart has broken too,” she told her supporters.

“We have worked so hard for our community.

Ms Lauga has 31.63 per cent and One Nation’s James Ashby has 23.68 per cent of the vote.

The 2024 result was expected to come down to preferences and a counting for the three-cornered contest could have gone into next week.

Mr Hutton, the former Livingstone deputy mayor and Pauline Hanson’s right hand man were vying to take the seat from Ms Lauga, the Assistant Minister for Health, who has held Keppel since 2015.

One Nation’s James Ashby is vying to take the seat of Keppel from Labor’s Brittany Lauga. Photo: Steve Vit.

Ms Lauga beat the LNP candidate at the 2020 election with a 5.6 per cent margin after preferences with One Nation in third but exit polling indicates those parties have closed the gap with high profile candidates.

Before counting started, Mr Ashby said: “Mate, it’s been brilliant and it’s brilliant because we are getting change, whether I win or Nigel wins. There is change coming.”

“We have more than 100 volunteers (at polling booths) and they all said the thing, ‘she’s (Brittany Lauga) gone’,” he said.

Mr Ashby said he felt “good” about his chances of winning the seat.

“It’ll come down to preferences. You’ve got to remember less than 40 per cent of people took how to vote cards,” he said.

LNP candidate for Keppel Nigel Hutton, Donna Kirkland LNP candidate for Rockhampton, Jess Conway, Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli, and Chris Robertson, during a visit to Our Space, Stockland Rockhampton Shopping Centre. Picture: Liam Kidston.

“So even though Labor was preferencing me last if people don’t take how to vote cards their preferences spray all over the place.

“So it’s a real positive for me. The less how to vote cards that got handed out the more encouragement there was for me.”

Premier Steven Miles’ last minute charm offensive and huge health pledges appear to have seen a surge in support for Keppel MP Brittany Lauga, it was not able to beat back the blue and orange waves of voter support.

While some explained they voted LNP because of the party’s policies and local commitments, the high-profile, charismatic right-hand man of Pauline Hanson, James Ashby, appeared to have charmed voters, with many drawn to the man himself more than his party.

One young female life-long Labor voter said she changed to One Nation for the first time this state election.

Numerous anonymous voters who cast their primary vote for someone other than the sitting MP explained it was “time for change” and “new leadership.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

GLADSTONE: Labor minister holds on to seat

Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher voting at a polling booth on the Queensland state election day on October 26, 2024. Contributed

Labor minister and Gladstone MP Glenn Butcher has retained his seat.

Mr Butcher won the seat in 2017 with 64.3 per cent of the first-preference vote and at 10pm Mr Butcher was leading with 43.43 per cent of the vote.

The Labor Minister for Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water’s main opposition is LNP’s Steve Askew with 24.96 per cent of the early vote while One Nation’s Andrew Jackson had 14.8 per cent.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

CALLIDE: Young MP retains seat for LNP

The seat of Callide is expected to stay in LNP MP Bryson Head’s hands.

Callide MP Bryson Head has held on to his seat for the LNP.Incumbent Callide MP Mr Head unsurprisingly held the seat with 57.36 per cent ahead of Labor’s Samantha Dendle 19.90 per cent and One Nation’s Chris O’Callaghan 15.60 per cent.

The need to meet the fast-growing region’s infrastructure needs and to fill gaps in essential services such as health, housing and waste are among the big issues for voters in Gladstone.

The seat of Callide is LNP heartland and Mr Head previously won the 2022 by election with a 28.3 per cent margin after preferences following the resignation of Colin Boyce, now the federal Member for Flynn.

Find out more about all of the candidates.

GREGORY: Popular mayor helps retain LNP outback seat

Barcaldine mayor Sean Dillon has retained the seat of Gregory for the LNP at the 2024 state election. Contributed

The LNP will retain the outback seat of Gregory, with popular Barcaldine Shire Council Mayor and fifth generation Alpha grazier Sean Dillon taking over for retiring MP, Lachlan Millar.

Mr Dillon had 52.04 per cent of the vote with 37.90 per cent counted.

Aramac resident Rebecca Humphreys is the Labor challenger who works as a communications officer for the Queensland Teachers Union.

Ms Humphreys had 24.97 per cent of the vote.

Mr Millar won the 2020 election with a margin of 32.8 per cent after preferences.

Cheers, Deb Frecklington Member for Nanango, Leader of the Opposition David Crisafulli, Sean Dillon LNP candidate for Gregory, and Lachlan Millar member for Gregory, Chute 1 pub, Longreach. Picture: Liam Kidston.