Queensland election 2017: Quarter of sitting Queensland MPs contesting their seats live outside electorate

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is one of a host of high-profile MPs contesting the election who don’t actually live in their seats, but the major parties claim voters don’t mind where their MPs live.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk was elected to represent Inala in 2006, but she actually lives in the neighbouring, LNP-held seat of Mount Ommaney. Picture: AAP/Dan Peled

PREMIER Annastacia Palaszczuk is one of a host of high-profile MPs contesting the election who don’t actually live in their seats.

An analysis of the electoral roll and property records by The Courier-Mail reveals nearly a quarter of Queensland’s 83 sitting MPs contesting the November 25 ballot live outside the communities they want to represent.

But the major parties have played down the importance of politicians living in their electorates, with Labor saying its MPs were still “passionate” representatives and the LNP suggesting voters don’t care.

Some – like the Premier – have long lived outside their seats, while a host of others have been booted out by changed boundaries following a significant redistribution this year.

While Ms Palaszczuk was elected to represent Inala in 2006, she actually lives in the neighbouring, LNP-held seat of Mount Ommaney.

Health Minister MP Cameron Dick did live in his Woodridge seat until shifting boundaries put him into the Labor-held seat of Waterford. Picture: AAP/Darren England

Seniors Minister Coralee O’Rourke, who is facing a fight to retain her Townsville-based seat of Mundingburra in a three-cornered contest with the LNP and One Nation, actually lives in Thuringowa.

Electoral Commission of Queensland maps show Health Minister MP Cameron Dick did live in his Woodridge seat until shifting boundaries put him into Child Minister Shannon Fentiman’s seat of Waterford.

Maps now put Police Minister Mark Ryan outside his Morayfield seat and into Kurwongbah – a seat that replaces the ALP-held Kallangur.

One Nation Leader Steve Dickson does not live in the Sunshine Coast-based seat of Buderim he’ll struggle to keep in a contest with the LNP, with new boundaries putting him in Ninderry.

In total, 10 ALP MPs, six LNP MPs and three independent or minor party members live outside the electorates they’re contesting.

A Palaszczuk Government spokesman did not respond to questions about the Premier living outside her community or whether any of its MPs intended to move.

Instead, his statement read that all Labor sitting MPs were “passionate about their community”.

“Major electoral boundary redistributions, like the most recent in Queensland, move thousands of Queenslanders to adjacent or new electorates,” the spokesman said.

“Members of Parliament and their families can also be impacted.”

An LNP spokesman said people didn’t care where their representatives lived and all of its MPs were MP well-established and hardworking.

“The seats covered relatively small areas in the context of Queensland and the MPs live close by,” he said.

“People struggling to get a job or pay their power bills don’t care where their MP lives.

“They care about what their MPs are doing to help them deal with the real challenges they face.”

Katter’s Australian Party’s Shane Knuth’s electorate of Dalrymple was abolished in the redistribution and he is contesting the new seat of Hill, despite now living in Traegar. He said he would move into Hill should he be successful this election.

Cairns Independent Rob Pyne has also been shifted into Treasurer Curtis Pitt’s Mulgrave seat and didn’t respond to phone calls.

Originally published as Queensland election 2017: Quarter of sitting Queensland MPs contesting their seats live outside electorate