By TANIA PHILLIPS
LABOR’S Dave Kerrigan has drawn top spot on the ballot for next month’s Federal Election for the seat of Maranoa.
Held by retiring Deputy Speaker and Liberal National Party member Bruce Scott, Maranoa – which is named for the Maranoa River which passes through the area – will have an new member whatever happens on 2 July.
The new member will be just the 10th since Federation and with the seat being held safely by the Liberal National/Country Party since the 1940s, Southern Downs based Liberal National Party candidate David Littleproud is favoured to win. However Mr Littleproud drew seventh on the ballot of eight candidates.
Family First candidate Myfanwy Schnek was second on the ballot, with Green Katherine Hompes third, Rise Up Australia Party candidate Sherrilyn Church fourth, Luke Arbuckle of the Country Minded Party was fifth ahead of Katter’s Australian Party candidate Rick Gurnett, Mr Little Proud seven and Pauline Hanson’s One Nation candidate Lynette Keehn in eighth spot
Maranoa covers an area of about 731,297 square kilometres from the Northern Territory, South Australian and New South Wales borders to Diamantina in the north and Nanango, Warwick and Stanthorpe in the east. The main towns include Charleville, Chinchilla, Cunnamulla, Dalby, Goondiwindi, Kingaroy, Miles, Roma, St George, Stanthorpe, Tara, Thargomindah and Warwick.
Bruce Scott has been the local member since 1990 but stepped down last month at the end of the current parliamentary term.
In his valedictory speech to Parliament last month Mr Scott said it had been an honour to be the ninth person since Federation to represent Maranoa.
“I hope one day that people may judge that what I have given as the Member for Maranoa has been adequate,” he said.
“It has been an enormous privilege to serve as the Member for Maranoa. It has been a time in my life, and that of my family, that I will never forget.”
Meanwhile, across the Border in New England – which includes Tenterfield – an interesting battle is expected particularly between sitting member and deputy Prime Minister Barnaby Joyce and former member Tony Windsor.
Mr Windsor has drawn seventh on the ballot while Mr Joyce is just behind him in eighth.
Ten candidates have nominated for New England with Robert Walker of the Online Direct Democracy in first spot ahead of Stan Colefax of the Christian Democratic Party and David Mailler of the CountryMinded party. Liberal Democrat Peter Whelan is fourth, Labor’s David Ewings is fifth with Independent Rob Taber in sixth, the Independent Tony Winsdor seven, Nationals Joyce in eight, followed by Green Mercurius Goldstein with Independent Phillip Cox at the bottom.
