NQ candidates for Herbert, Dawson and Kennedy locked in for 2025 federal election
With the upcoming federal election just weeks away, the candidates for the North Queensland seats of Herbert, Dawson and Kennedy have been finalised, with a few spots surprisingly left vacant by several parties.
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With the upcoming federal election just weeks away, the candidates for the Townsville seats of Herbert, Dawson and Kennedy have been locked in, with a few spots left vacant by several parties.
A look at the candidates shows surprisingly the only Katter’s Australian Party candidate running in North Queensland is longstanding MP Bob Katter.
See the list below of candidates for the 2025 election for the electorate of Herbert, Dawson and Kennedy.
Herbert:
The electorate of Herbert covers most of Townsville, as well as Magnetic Island and Palm Island.
In the last Federal Election in 2022, Liberal member Phillip Thompson held onto the seat with 47 per cent of the vote, ahead of Labor’s John Ring with 21.6 per cent.
Candidates from other parties included Scott Humphreys from the Greens, Diana Pepe from One Nation and Greg Dowling from the United Australia Party.
Liberal National Party: Phillip Thompson
Sitting MP Phillip Thompson has held the seat of Herbert since 2019 and is looking for his third term in the role.
This time around the veteran and dad of two said the people of North Queensland had been doing it tough, but they were ‘tough people’.
“I think the benefit of having two terms under my belt is that I’ve met so many hard working people,” he said.
Speaking to Bulletin in March, Mr Thompson said the big issue on the minds of Townsville locals for the upcoming Federal election was crime.
“Crime is still Townsville’s number one issue and it affects all of us,” he said.
He said while the Australian government has no control over state laws, including introduction of the Making Queensland Safer Laws by the Crisafulli Government, Mr Thompson said he will “continue to do his bit” in the war on crime.
He said he had been working with schools, sporting groups and community groups in getting CCTV and cameras.
He has so far promised $150,000 worth of security measures for groups and clubs across Townsville if re-elected and $2.2m for upgrades and the construction of female amenities and change rooms at Townsville and District Rugby Union’s centre on Hugh Street.
Election promise so far:
$2.2m for upgrades and the construction of female amenities and change rooms at Townsville Rugby Union’s centre on Hugh Street.
$151,000 community safety package which includes:
•Townsville Toy Library – fencing and CCTV cameras ($40,000)
•Garbutt State School, Garbutt – CCTV cameras ($10,000)
•Phoenix Netball Club, Hermit Park – CCTV cameras ($10,000)
•Castle Hill Lions Club, Aitkenvale – CCTV cameras ($10,000)
•Wanderers Cricket Club, Pimlico – CCTV, lighting, and security doors ($16,000)
•Magnetic Island RSL, Arcadia – CCTV cameras and lighting ($7,000)
•Magnetic Island Men’s Shed, Picnic Bay – CCTV cameras ($10,000)
•Townsville Table Tennis Association, Hermit Park – CCTV and lighting ($20,000)
•Purono Rural Fire Brigade, Yabulu – CCTV cameras and security doors ($13,000)
•St. John’s Ambulance, Aitkenvale – CCTV cameras and lighting ($15,000)
Labor Party: Edwina Andrew
Coming from a background in the not-for-profit sector, Labor candidate for Herbert Edwina Andrew said she is running to ensure the voices of “everyone in the community are heard” this election.
Raised in rural and regional parts of Queensland, Ms Andrews was announced as candidate by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese during a visit to Townsville in July 2024.
After studying as a psychologist and working in the area of child protection, Ms Andrew said her work has enabled her to have a perspective of the world where everyone has the right to professional support and services.
Running a “grassroots campaign”, Ms Andrew told the Townsville Bulletin in March her focus was on listening to the people of Townsville.
“It’s been a lot of work in the background. This has never been ‘my’ campaign, it’s never been about the flash and bang and ‘hey, look at me’, it’s about the work in the background,” she said.
“The step into politics, there were a few little triggers for that. I’ve always wanted to have that influence, to be able to speak up for the everyday person.”
Her key focuses in the lead up to the election are cost of living and the environment, two topics which she said have come up a lot in conversations when doorknocking in Townsville.
“100 per cent, the number one is cost of living,” she said.
“That’s what I am hearing constantly from everybody and cost of living stuff translates to a lot more than just ‘we can’t pay the bills this week’, cost of living is housing shortages, it’s housing shortages, housing stress and then less money meaning businesses are impacted.”
ELECTION PROMISES SO FAR:
•Strengthening Medicare with the biggest investment in bulk billing ever so everyone in Townsville can see a GP for free.
•Continuing the largest house build in Australian history, building 1.2 million homes in five years; helping more first home buyers in Townsville with Labor’s Help to Buy scheme and ensuring locals with HECS debts can still access finance for a loan.
•Cutting HECS debt by 20% and making sure student debt never grows faster than wages.
•Making free TAFE permanent to boost Townsville’s workforce; training more local nurses, healthcare workers, tradies and construction workers.
•Delivering more choice, lower costs and better healthcare for women in Townsville with a $500 million investment in women’s health, listing new contraceptives and menopausal hormone therapies on the PBS, increasing Medicare payments for bulk billed IUD insertion and endometriosis treatment, and more.
•Making childcare cheaper and building more childcare centres to ensure every family in Townsville will have access to three days a week of subsidised early education.
•Investing $7.2 billion in a long-term plan to fix the Bruce, with the recently commenced package including projects at Alligator Creek and the Toomulla intersection
•An additional $30 million to upgrade the Angus Smith Drive Roundabout to install traffic lights and change the traffic flow
•An upgrade of Townsville’s headspace centre to be a headspace Plus, as part of the Albanese government’s billion dollar mental health plan.
Greens: Chris Evans
Announced in the first week of April as the Herbert candidate for the Greens, Chris Evans comes from a background in the manufacturing industry and said he is running a campaign focused on cost of living, housing and healthcare.
“People in our community are hurting and struggling to get by. Grocery prices are skyrocketing, and rents and mortgages are out of control,” Mr Evans said.
“Health care is also a big concern, especially the lack of support for people struggling with mental health issues.
Running as a Greens candidate “due to the major parties failing to fix the problems”, Mr Evans said the party had a plan to tackle rising grocery prices by making supermarket price gouging illegal and breaking up the Woolies and Coles duopoly.
“We will help with housing stress by putting a cap on rent increases and delivering cheaper mortgages for people,” he said.
Family First: Felicity Roser
Running in the electorate of Herbert for the Family First Party, Felicity Roser says she is standing up for “family, faith, life and freedom”.
Her profile on the Family First website states that she “believes strong families, freedom for faith, and protecting the most vulnerable are critical for the future of our community and our nation.”
Key policies of the Family First Party include opposing abortion and euthanasia, defending family values and preserving religious freedom.
People First: Felicity Cole
Born in Tasmania and raised in Victoria and a long-term resident of Townsville, mother of three Felicity Cole comes from a background in the media industry before running a small business as a photographer. She also works in the disability sector.
According to her candidate profile on the People First website, Ms Cole said key focuses for her campaign are the housing shortage and cost of living.
She comes from a family with a history of political involvement, with her grandfather George Cole serving as a Senator in Tasmania.
Key policies of the People First party, led by Gerard Rennick, include lowering income tax, voluntary superannuation, streamlining the bureaucracies of State and Federal government, a strong stance on protecting primary industries and enshrining freedom of speech into the Constitution by holding a Referendum.
According to her Facebook page Ms Cole describes herself on her Facebook page as a “healer” and that she was “spontaneously awakened to an ability to Heal after a gravitational pull to visit Uluru, NT”.
She recently held an event in Townsville at The Avenues with leader of the party Senator Gerard Rennick, a climate change denier that “stands up for common sense politices” who quit the LNP in 2024 and began People First.
KAP: Darryn Casson
The KAP have also announced a last minute candidate for Herbert in Darryn Casson, a senior associate at Salt Legal in Townsville.
Mr Casson has a more than 30 years experience in the justice system, working as a police officer in Victoria before becoming a prosecutor in Queensland where has worked in Townsville for the last 22 years.
He made headlines in 2022, for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine as part of the police staff policy on religious grounds.
Mr Casson also served as the police prosecutor during former mayor Jenny Hill’s court case where she was found not guilty of the death of Darryl Andrew Lynch in 2021, after his motorbike collided with her car in Aitkenvale.
Trumpet of Patriots: Martin Brewster
One Nation: Ross Macdonald
Dawson
With suburbs in Townsville such as Oonoonba, Cluden, Idalia, Annandale, Wulguru and Stuart, the Dawson electorate covers areas of Home Hill, Ayr, Giru and goes all the way down to Mackay.
In the 2022 Federal Election the LNP’s Andrew Willcox claimed 43.3 per cent of the vote, compared to Labor’s Shane Hamilton with 24.5 per cent.
Mr Willcox succeeded George Christensen, who represented Dawson from 2010.
Other candidates included Julie Hall for One Nation, Ciaron Paterson for the KAP, Christian Nigel Young for the United Australia Party and Jim Jackson for The Great Australian Party.
Paula Creen ran for the Greens in 2022 and is running again in 2025.
Liberal National Party: Andrew Willcox
Sitting the role of MP Andrew Willcox, a third generation tomato farmer and father of three, labels himself a family man, small business owner and community leader.
Previously the Mayor of the Whitsundays, he said he has a strong focus on the North Queensland community and will “stand up against unnecessary red and green tape” and “hold the Federal Government to account.”
Mr Willcox told this masthead his top priorities for this election are cost of living relief and making sure there is an 80/20 split in funding from the Federal and State governments to fix the Bruce Highway.
Mr Willcox recently announced several policies, if re-elected, including $20,000 to go towards the expansion of Angel Paws animal rescue centre in Stuart and $500,000 for the Home Hill Community Sports Club to install a new shade to cover the playing surface.
Labor: Neil Wallace
Having lived in Mackay for the last 17 years with his wife and three kids, Labor’s Neil Wallace said he “loves” his community.
Mr Wallace is a three-time president of the North Mackay Rotary Club and has worked for four decades in the private sector.
On his website Mr Wallace says he “doesn’t want to see the local community being taken for granted by the LNP anymore.”
He states the number one priority from Labor is delivering cost of living relief, with Mr Wallace also saying he will fight more to invest more in local health services and strengthen Medicare.
Greens: Paula Creen
Securing 4.96 per cent in the last Federal Election, Greens candidate Paula Creen is running because she wants the region to “thrive”.
Having served 12 years with the Volunteer Marine Rescue Mackay and five years as a member of SES Mackay, Ms Creen was born and went to school in Mackay and moved back to the area 21 years ago.
With the environment a big focus of her campaign, Ms Creen says her main priorities are to tax big corporations and billionaires for their “fair share”, as well as cost of living relief.
Family First: Amanda Nickson
A Burdekin resident for 21 years, Ms Nickson is a social worker, author and Pastor and said her Christian faith is at the core of everything she does.
Ms Nickson has worked in positions in governments, academia and private practices and currently runs her own business in training, supervision, social work services and organisational consultancy.
According to her candidate page, Ms Nickson says she has chosen to run for the electorate of Dawson to give voters “an opportunity to choose a representative having family values and offering a pro-life option.”
Trumpet of Patriots: Michael Lockyer
Officially endorsed by the newly formed Trumper of Patriots, chaired by Clive Palmer, Michael Lockyer is described as a “proud Australian and lifelong Mackay local.”
Coming from a family of veterans, Mr Lockyer followed in his fathers footsteps to work in the coal mining industry as a tradesman for the past decade.
On his candidate profile he says he loves Australia and the people who call it home.
Mr Lockyer’s main policy is to reduce government debt by ensuring Australia’s resources benefit Australians first.
“Trumpet of Patriots will place a 15 per cent licence fee on all iron ore exports from Australia,” he said on his page.
“These funds would be used to eliminate government debt and strengthen our economy for future generations.”
KAP: No candidate declared
People First Party: Alexander John Beaumont
One Nation: Darren Brown
Kennedy
Covering 567,377 square kilometres, almost a third of Queensland, Kennedy is the second-largest electorate in the state.
Often referred to as Katter Country, it has been held by Bob Katter since 1993, who was originally elected as National Party MP, but became an independent in 2011 and then a KAP member in 2011.
In 2022, the race saw Mr Katter take out 41.7 per cent of the vote compared to the LNP’s Bryce McDonald with 28.2 per cent.
Katter’s Australian Party: Bob Katter
Fighting the “Brisbane mentality”, longstanding MP Bob Katter says he is fighting against the “wokies” closing mines and fighting for Bruce Highway funding.
Holding the seat since 1993, Mr Katter is looking for re-election at the age of 79.
He is Australia’s current longest serving politician, having been in parliament for more than 30 years.
Mr Katter told the Townsville Bulletin in February ahead of the federal election, that after the devastating North Queensland floods earlier this year his priorities would include the widening and raising of the inland highway from The Lynd to Charters Towers.
The policy would include the sealing and upgrading the inland highway from The Lynd to Hughenden and raising the Gairloch and Seymour River crossings on the Bruce.
He added that he would continue to push for a Cairns and Tablelands ‘Bridle Track Tunnel as a long-term solution to the state of the highway.
The veteran MP is a staunch opposer of the 2032 Brisbane Olympic Games previously saying “as far as I’m concerned, anything I can do to destroy the Olympic Games, I most certainly will do,” Mr Katter said.
Liberal National Party: Annette Swain
Former police officer and tourism operator Annette Swain has thrown her hat in the ring to take on Mr Katter in his long-held seat.
A LNP candidate for Hinchinbrook in the 2024 state election who lost out to KAP MP Nick Dametto, Ms Swain put her hand up for a try at the Federal Election in February this year.
Ms Swain told the Townsville Bulletin she felt Kennedy was “under-represented” and “overlooked” by the Federal government.
“As I engage and listen to residents and businesses across the electorate the message is clear – local families are hurting under Labor’s cost-of-living crisis and, like many regional areas, we are feeling it more than those in the cities,” Ms Swaine said.
Another priority is to fix the Bruce Highway, particularly in the Ingham to Innisfail section.
Ms Swain said if elected she will be a “strong voice for the people of Kennedy”.
For more information visit:
Labor: Sharon Winn
Working as a foster carer, Ms Winn is running for the seat of Kennedy to “stand up for the people when they need the most help”.
Ms Winn stated on her website that if elected she will “keep fighting to ease cost of living pressure, create quality jobs and invest in training and skills for the region”.
Her number one priority is to deliver cost of living relief.
Greens: Carole Stanford
Carole Stanford, who is focused on tackling the cost of living and climate change crises, is standing up for the outback seat of Kennedy.
With a background in science and computing teaching, Ms Stanford who is front he Tablelands told the Townsville Bulletin in March that “people need an alternative”.
“I am one who feels it is very important to be looking at a different future for people across Queensland, across regional Queensland and for our youth, and if we vote for the same parties all the time … we can’t expect anything different,” she said.
On the key policies as part of the Greens, Ms Stanford said the priorities were wiping 20 per cent off existing student loans, stopping supermarket “price gouging” and capping rents and delivering cheaper mortgages.
Ms Stanford said mining in her electorate needed to be encouraged, as well as railway networks and said the housing crisis was severely impacting the young and elderly that needed addressing.
Family First: Douglas Lush
Like many candidates from Family First, Douglas Lush is standing for the seat with the key ideas of “family, faith, life and freedom.”
Mr Lush said on his candidate page that he believes “strong families, freedom for faith, and protecting the most vulnerable are critical for the future of our community and our nation”.
Trumpet of Patriots: Mark Westcott
Working since 1987 as a fitter machinist and engine reconditioned, Mark Wescott says he has spent his life working with his hands and solving “real world problems”.
After serving in the military, Mr Wescott moved to Mt Isa in 1999. He says Australia needs “commonsense solutions.”
“We need real people in parliament, not career politicians. I believe in strong, practical policies — just like Trump is delivering in the U. S. — to get this country back on track,” he said on his candidate page.
One Nation: Kate Harris
Independent: Steven Clare
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Originally published as NQ candidates for Herbert, Dawson and Kennedy locked in for 2025 federal election
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