Toowoomba federal election 2025: Meet your candidates for Groom

The first seven candidates have been declared for Groom in the upcoming 2025 federal election. Read their profiles here:

Toowoomba voters will have five weeks to decide who they want to represent them in federal parliament, in a contest that could make the previously-safe conservative seat marginal.

Seven candidates have already been confirmed for the seat of Groom after Prime Minister Anthony Albanese called the election for Saturday, May 3.

While the official campaign began this, political advertising has already been on display for months across Toowoomba in an indication of the hotness of the contest.

The election will see LNP incumbent Garth Hamilton try to win a second full term against high-profile independent Suzie Holt, who reduced the seat’s margin to just seven points in 2022.

There is also a mix of returning and new candidates among the Greens, One Nation, Family First and Independents.

Here is a full rundown on all candidates so far:

Garth Hamilton MP (LNP)

Groom MP LNP candidate Garth Hamilton. Picture: Kevin Farmer

Former mining engineer Garth Hamilton has placed cost of living, housing affordability, crime reduction and a nuclear energy future as key components of his re-election campaign.

After winning a by-election in 2020 following the retirement of predecessor John McVeigh, Mr Hamilton has been in federal parliament for five years and is now the deputy chair of the House of Representatives standing committee for economics.

“What I’ve heard loudest over the last three years are concerns around cost of living pressures and I believe people will be looking to see who is best placed to provide the strong economic management our country needs,” he said.

“Housing and energy costs fall into that category too.

“The youth crime wave we all experienced is still fresh in our minds and I think that’s why so many people talk to me about social cohesion and how important it is to communities like ours.”

The 2022 election saw the LNP suffer a 13-point swing against it in Groom thanks to a major preference flow to independent Suzie Holt, with questions raised by rank-and-file members of Mr Hamilton’s performance following the result.

Mr Hamilton’s most recent term has been marked by his opposition to the ultimately unsuccessful Indigenous Voice to parliament referendum, his support for a nuclear reactor outside Yarraman as part of the Coalition’s controversial new energy policy and consistent battling against the Toowoomba Regional Council over the progress of local projects.

He also backed a plan to introduce legislation that would allow the federal government to break up tightly-held industries like supermarkets.

Mr Hamilton has already pledged more than $5m in funding for specific projects if Peter Dutton can form government, including a $4m grandstand and other upgrades to the Toowoomba Hockey Grounds and $900,000 for improvements to the Toowoomba Speedway.

Richard Edwards (Labor)

Toowoomba mental health practitioner Richard Edwards is running for Groom in the 2025 federal election.

The longstanding Darling Downs resident said he was passionate about ensuring all members of the community continued to have access to affordable health care.

“I’m excited to be Labor’s new candidate in Groom and to continue the Albanese Labor Government’s fight to strengthen Medicare and keep building Australia’s future,” he said.

“As a local health professional, Labor’s plans for cheaper medicines, strengthening Medicare with the biggest single investment in bulk billing ever, and our new Toowoomba Medicare Urgent Care Clinic will make a real difference.”

2025 Labor Candidate for Groom, Richard Edwards. Picture supplied/ALP

The Labor candidate, whose family has lived in the region since the 1860s, said another key issue close to his heart was ensuring regional Queenslanders were not forgotten and that they received the support and recognition they deserved.

“Cost of living is the number one issue for families in Groom, and Labor is the only party with a real plan to tackle it,” he said.

“Under Labor, inflation is down, wages are up, unemployment is low and now interest rates have started to come down too – but we know there’s more work to do.”

“Regional Queenslanders deserve representatives that will stand up for them. It is only Labor that will make Free TAFE permanent, deliver cheaper childcare, and ensure wages continue to grow. But all of this is at risk under Peter Dutton and the LNP.”

With Groom being held by the LNP for several years, Mr Edwards said it was time for change.

“The LNP is taking this community for granted, and Groom deserves better,” he said.

“Queenslanders will be worse off under Peter Dutton and the LNP.”

The family mental health practitioner completed his schooling at state schools in Harristown before studying at the University of Southern Queensland.

Suzie Holt (independent)

Highly-touted independent Suzie Holt says Groom needs vital infrastructure around healthcare, education and transport, as the noted community organiser aims to end the LNP’s dominance in the previously-safe conservative seat.

After stunning the region by securing 43 per cent of the two-candidate vote in 2022, Ms Holt has continued to campaign in the intermediate three years to make the case to residents that she can become the first federal independent in the seat since Sir Littleton Groom in 1931.

“After the last election, I was encouraged to continue to take up the challenges of representing the issues faced by the people of Groom,” she said in a statement.

Suzie Holt will run as an independent for the federal seat of Groom.

“So many people have told me of their frustration at the lack of representation by Mr Hamilton so I set up meetings with government and organisations who could help to address their concerns.

“I have been buoyed by the positive response to my efforts both from the people who have asked for my help (and) I look forward to earning the opportunity to continue working for the people of Groom after May 3.

“I am fighting to deliver for Groom. I am fighting for mums and dads struggling with the cost of living, I am fighting to deliver the healthcare and education our region deserves (and) I’m fighting for small business and regional infrastructure.”

Ms Holt has already been running advertisements for months, while her campaign says it has hundreds of volunteers ready to reach voters in every corner of the electorate.

Kirstie Smolenski (independent)

Running as an independent for the seat of Groom is former registered nurse and business manager Kirstie Smolenski.

Ms Smolenski said she was spurred to run as a candidate in the 2025 election to ensure vital health facilities and transport were a priority for the Toowoomba region, after polling just behind fellow independent Suzie Holt in 2022.

“Toowoomba had needed a new hospital for decades, and we are still desperate for a commuter rail to Brisbane,” she said.

“These were a clear priority for our community and the campaign. Our efforts were

rewarded when the state government subsequently announced the necessary funding for the hospital, and our local government found a renewed interest in rail.”

Independent candidate for Groom 2025, Kirstie Smolenski. Picture: Supplied

The Toowoomba medical specialist said a key focus for her was improving the quality and access of healthcare.

“We are getting a new hospital, but who will staff it? We need more locally grown and educated healthcare staff, nurses, doctors, and support people who will stay in the area. Many regions like ours are desperate for more workers,” she said.

Ms Smolenski said she was a longstanding advocate of local business and had worked hard to support the region’s businesses, from shop fronts to paddocks.

“As an independent member of parliament, I will work hard to hold the major supermarkets accountable, looking out for small businesses, including our growers,” she said.

She said the seat of Groom had been held “by a conservative male since federation,” and now was the time for that to change.

“We must fight for the funding and recognition that our region deserves.

“Going on from the strong support of the last election, we are ready to increase our presence, spread the word and win at the next election.”

Alexandra Todd (Family First)

The Family First candidate for the seat of Groom is Alexandra Todd, who was the party’s campaign director during the Queensland state election campaign in 2024.

During the state campaign, Ms Todd said she wanted to get back into the political sphere to ensure the “building blocks of society” weren’t compromised on because noisy minorities that were pushing Australia’s culture too far to the “left”.

Alexandra Todd, 2025 Family First candidate for Groom. Picture: Supplied

A Family First media release said a vote for Ms Todd was a vote for traditional family values, faith, life, and freedom.

“Sadly, the major parties have abandoned your values, and Family First seeks to provide you the chance to vote for what matters with a clear conscience,” the statement read.

“Alex believes strong families, freedom for faith, and protecting the most vulnerable are critical for the future of our community and our nation.

“Family First will not compromise.”

In August 2024 Ms Todd joined Family First in a bid to repeal the Queensland Government’s gender Self-ID laws after learning that a transgender woman was allowed to use the female bathrooms at Milne Bay Aquatic and Fitness Centre in Toowoomba.

Alyce Nelligan (Greens)

Disability advocate and Greens candidate Alyce Nelligan is focusing her campaign on cost of living, housing, and healthcare and has been heavily involved with the party for almost a decade.

“To me helping the community is the most important thing and it’s been my motivation to get involved in politics and make life fairer and more equitable for everyone” Ms Nelligan said.

“This is a really important election because we’re currently facing a housing crisis, especially here on the Darling Downs.

“Cost of living is so high and we’ve got families struggling to afford groceries.”

Disability advocate and Greens candidate Alyce Nelligan. Picture: Social media

Ms Nelligan’s campaign is pushing for implementing rent caps, preventing price gouging by major supermarkets and building more social housing.

“People in our community are hurting because of the rising cost of living, spiralling rents and mortgages, and lack of access to proper health services,” she said.

“Meanwhile, one in three corporations pay no tax.

“By making big corporations pay their fair share, we can make GP visits free, put dental and mental health into Medicare, and reverse Labor’s devastating cuts to the NDIS.”

Rebecca Konz (One Nation)

New One Nation member Rebecca Konz is campaigning for reducing renewable energy, strengthening family support through income splitting, and improving health outcomes.

Ms Konz wants to slow down the push for renewable energy by getting Australia to pull out of the Paris agreement and cut back on what she refers to as ‘government waste’.

Ms Konz supports the One Nation policy of cutting government departments including the Climate Change and Indigenous industry department.

Pauline Hanson's One Nation candidate for Groom Rebecca Konz.

Ms Konz joined Pauline Hanson’s One Nation last year but she said she has always supported the party.

“I think that One Nation has the policies to bring Australia back to where Australia should be, and is actually the party that has the policies for Australians and not for votes, and not for corporations and international organisations,” she said.

As someone who has lived and worked in Toowoomba for the last 25 years Ms Konz said she has an understanding of local challenges.

Ms Konz studied a Bachelor of Science and worked in the health industry as a personal trainer, and is also pushing for improving health outcomes through lifestyle choices and education, and supports One Nation’s policy to implement photo ID for Medicare.