Former Member for Cook, David Kempton, to contest seat again in surprise LNP vote twist

A shock candidate will contest the seat of Cook for the LNP with a former conservative politician seeing off two strong contenders to emerge as the man the Coalition hopes can beat longtime Labor incumbent Cynthia Lui in October’s state election.

Former Member for Cook, David Kempton will run against Cynthia Lui at October’s state election for the LNP. PICTURE: STEWART MCLEAN

A shock candidate will contest the seat of Cook for the LNP with a former conservative politician seeing off two strong contenders to emerge as the man the Coalition hopes can beat longtime Labor incumbent Cynthia Lui in October’s state election.

In a surprise political comeback, LNP members voted in lawyer David Kempton ahead of former Douglas Shire mayor, Michael Kerr and ex-Mareeba Shire deputy Kevin Davies on Tuesday.

Mr Kempton, who previously won the seat in 2012 and served as Assistant Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs in the Newman government, lost to Labor’s Billy Gordon in 2015.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli will fly to the Far North on Wednesday morning to formally announce Mr Kempton as the Coalition’s contender with early polls revealing Ms Lui will face a tough battle to keep her seat.

Cook MP Cynthia Lui became the first Torres Strait Islander to be elected to Queensland Parliament in 2017. Picture: Brendan Radke

But the Far North MP, who made history in 2017 by becoming the first Torres Strait Islander to be elected to Queensland Parliament, isn’t expected to take the challenge lying down, having been more vocal on key issues within her electorate in recent months.

In March, Ms Lui memorably locked horns with Mr Kerr over a host of issues including water security, disaster support and Douglas Shire’s potential de-amalgamation.

The LNP had hoped to lock in its Cook candidate before March’s by-elections in southeast Queensland stalled plans to announce the Coalition’s contender.

During that time, Mr Kerr warmed as the likely favourite with Member for Leichhardt, Warren Entsch, privately backing the former Far North Queensland Region Organisation of Councils (FNQROC) chair to step into state politics.

Former Douglas Shire mayor Michael Kerr was considered the favourite to contest the seat of Cook for the LNP at the coming state election. Picture: Mark Murray

Rumours that Mr Kerr was interested in the job grew last October when he announced he wouldn’t seek re-election at the 2024 local government elections.

Mr Kerr’s profile grew following Tropical Cyclone Jasper in December with the community leader working with communities north of the Daintree River, including Ayton, Bloomfield and Degarra to rebuild.

In January, he challenged Premier Steven Miles to upgrade the road to Cape Tribulation, which suffered more than 120 landslides following TC Jasper, leaving residents in the tourism town stranded for months.

But he also faced significant criticism over water supply issues with harsh restrictions and outages hurting tourism businesses already crippled by a disastrous wet season.

Mr Kempton will now face several key challenges, including coordinating disaster recovery efforts in southern Cape York and coming up with a plan to upgrade the rundown Cooktown Hospital.

But the chair of the Tropical North Regional Development Australia said he was eager to hit the hustings as soon as possible.

“As I make my way through the communities across Cook, I meet families who are hurting due to Labor’s failure to deliver on the things that matter,” Mr Kempton said.

“We need a government that will get serious about tackling youth crime, a government that will deliver solutions to the housing crisis, and cost of living crisis that is gripping this state.

“That’s why I’m proud to join David Crisafulli and the LNP team that has the right priorities for Far North Queensland’s future.”

Elsewhere in the Far North, Bree James will challenge Labor’s Craig Crawford in Barron River.

Member for Cairns Michael Healy is already locked in a tense battle with Yolonde Entsch after Ms Entsch accused her rival of running a “misogynistic” smear campaign against her.

One Nation will field retired regional firefighter, Peter Campion, in the race for Cook.

An LNP candidate for Mulgrave is yet to be finalised.

Originally published as Former Member for Cook, David Kempton, to contest seat again in surprise LNP vote twist