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By HARRY CLARKE
HAVING endured six weeks of a highly contentious federal election campaign, voters in the Queensland state seat of Callide will have to return to the polling booths within weeks due to a forced by-election.
Callide, which encompasses parts of Queensland’s Wide Bay, Burnett, Capricorn and Western Downs regions, has been vacated by previous MP Colin Boyce, who looks likely to win the federal seat of Flynn for the LNP with 72 percent of the vote counted.
The Electoral Commission of Queensland (ECQ) has now announced June 18 as polling day for Callide.
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The seat of Callide has just shy of 34,000 constituents and spans roughly 74,000 square kilometres between Calliope in the north and Chinchilla in the south.
Touching Queensland’s coastline south of Gladstone and stretching across the vast pastoral downs country west of Taroom, Callide is industrially and socially diverse.
It’s a firmly held LNP seat. Mr Boyce amassed a 15.3 percent margin at the 2020 Queensland Election, and before his tenure the local MP was LNP Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney.
2020 CALLIDE ELECTION RESULTS
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The LNP has nominated Bryson Head as the party’s candidate.
In February the Caller profiled Mr Head, a Chinchilla-based geologist and farming industry advocate who listed rural hospital resourcing, infrastructure and crime rates among his priorities for Callide if elected.
Independent candidate Adam Burling has also nominated.
Mr Burling, a Biloela-based father of four who won 8.4 percent of the primary vote in the 2020 election, has vowed to address job losses in the energy sector and water security if elected.
For more information about the Callide by-election visit the Electoral Commission of Queensland website.
