Suzie Holt caught misleading voters over her involvement in Voice referendum

Efforts by Groom independent Suzie Holt to distance herself from her support of the failed Yes vote during the Voice referendum have come undone.

Suzie Holt is running as an independent for the federal seat of Groom.

Independent Groom candidate Suzie Holt’s hype ahead of next Satruday’s election might be coming to a halt after two interview blunders, one where she claimed she did not participate in the Yes campaign during the Voice referendum.

Ms Holt made the claim while being interviewed by Tim Entwhistle on social media, saying she did not participate, nor would she state how she voted.

Mr Entwhistle pointed to Groom voting 76.3 per cent against an Indigenous voice to parliament.

“Are you willing to share how you voted and how you intend to advocate for Indigenous issues,” he said.

“I did not participate in any of that campaigning,” Ms Holt said.

Suzie Holt was interviewed by Tim Entwhistle at Toowoomba Forward.

Ms Holt declined to say how she voted, but added that she attended one event organised by prominent ‘No’ campaign Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.

Later Mr Entwhistle pressed Ms Holt on the influence the crowd-funding election financing group Climate 200 had on her campaign, and how it would affect policy.

When he asked about her move away from Teal branding, Ms Holt stopped the interview to talk to Mr Entwhistle off camera, which has raised eyebrows in a community where sections are already sceptical about how beholden she is to the environmental group that funded her to the tune of $50,000.

The blunders have dampened the momentum around Ms Holt and her bid to unseat incumbent Garth Hamilton from the LNP stronghold.

Ms Holt lost to Mr Hamiliton at the last election, 56.9 to 43.1 per cent after preferences, in a 9.6 per cent swing away from the LNP.

When asked by the Chronicle on Wednesday, Ms Holt again said she played no active role in the Yes campaign.

The Toowoomba Chamber of Commerce's Meet the Candidates forum for Groom at the Oaks Hotel. Independent Suzie Holt and LNP's Garth Hamilton.

Her opponent – and the sitting member – Garth Hamilton, jumped on the comments saying they called into question Ms Holt’s integrity.

“People might not agree with me, but I’ve made it my job to make sure that people know where I stand, and to try and rewrite history in this way shows utter contempt for the intelligence of the voter here.

The Chronicle contacted the organisers of the two Toowoomba-based ‘Yes’ campaign groups to clarify what involvement Ms Holt had in the lead up to the referendum.

One manager Robert Baillie said Ms Holt was involved on the periphery, and often shared information with voters and contributed to a polling day volunteer group chat.

A second manager, Neil Riethmuller, chaired regular organising meetings and said Ms Holt was never involved.

“She’s a well known person, I would have remembered her,” he said.

After two days Ms Holt came clean on her record, saying she voted ‘Yes’.

“I spoke to many people on both sides of the debate, and offered support to people who were struggling with the divisiveness it caused in our community,” she said.

“I did not volunteer to hand out the date, and while I personally voted yes, as did many well respected people in our region, I listened to the response in Groom and I respect their vote.

“I’m extremely disappointed that two of my opponents are working together and reopening the wounds of the referendum, and exploiting First Nations trauma to their own political ends.

“If Mr Hamilton wants to tell the community that how I voted as a private citizen is relevant, then he must also answer to his voting record as a parliamentarian.”

Originally published as Suzie Holt caught misleading voters over her involvement in Voice referendum