By Jeremy Sollars
Up until a few days ago, James Lister wasn’t exactly a household name on the Southern Downs and Granite Belt – but that’s changed in a big way.
The affable 40-year-old and soon-to-be-former RAAF officer convincingly won a ballot of local LNP members last Friday, 3 March, to become the party’s endorsed candidate for the State seat of Southern Downs at the next election.
While it isn’t officially due until January 2018, the political pundits both locally and further afield in the Sunshine State are tipping that ALP Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk – whose government is on a parliamentary knife-edge – will call the election early, possibly within the next several months if not sooner.
And when she does, James Lister says he will be well and truly ready.
James will replace veteran Southern Downs MP Lawrence Springborg, who will retire from State politics at the next election, and while he stands at well over six feet in height he acknowledged he has “big shoes to fill”.
In last week’s ballot of local LNP members, James gained 180 votes, easily trumping rivals and current Southern Downs councillors deputy mayor Jo McNally and Cameron Gow, who are understood to have received 12 and 35 votes respectively, with some 43 members opting for none of the three hopefuls.
James told the Free Times this week he is under no illusions about his status as a non-local – he grew up in Brisbane and has worked all over Australia during his RAAF career and has lived near Amberley air base in recent times – but points out his parents and his sister and her husband have lived in Stanthorpe for some years.
And he and his wife Belinda plan to join them, with the couple looking to buy a home in Stanthorpe as soon as practical and find a school – preferably a small country one – for their two sons, Jeremy, 6, and William, 3.
James and Belinda’s was an RAAF romance, with Belinda having reached the same rank as her husband of Squadron Leader, but their military careers are now behind them, with both having applied for discharge following James’ LNP endorsement.
The pair were both most recently senior officers in the RAAF’s logistics area and James freely admits he is no pilot, saying his senior officers preferred him with his feet firmly planted on the ground.
“It was wonderful to be able to serve my country in a number of different roles, including overseas,” James told the Free Times.
“My time with the RAAF gave me the opportunity to live and work in many places around Australia, but now I am looking forward to being able to stay in the one place – it’s great to have the chance to finally choose where I live.
“Belinda and I will now be directing our efforts solely on the campaign now we’re no longer with the RAAF – we’ll be living on bread and dripping for the time being but getting out and meeting people and finding out their issues are now the focus.”
As well as his RAAF career – which included a five-month stint in the United Arab Emirates in 2009 – James has been an aide-de-camp to both former Governor-General Michael Jeffery, in 2004, and to former Queensland Governor Quentin Bryce from 2007 to 2008.
Before the RAAF he worked as a consultant for a labour hire firm in Brisbane, following a stint with the Young Nationals as a field officer – he joined the party in 1992 at the age of 16 – which involved drumming up members and support across the state and “organising toga parties”.
James says he isn’t fazed by the surge in support for One Nation in Queensland, with Stanthorpe business figure Mark McNichol – the husband of councillor Marika McNichol – looking likely to be their Southern Downs candidate.
“I’m not worried about other candidates, I am here to share my values and experience with the people of Southern Downs,” James said.
“I believe in State governments doing what they need to do – improving roads, water infrastructure and healthcare and particularly in Queensland’s regions.”
On the currently controversial topic of Queensland’s abortion laws, James says he does not support “further liberalisation of the current law”, following the recent debacle in State Parliament which saw independent MP Rob Pyne ditch a private member’s bill to legalise abortion in Queensland.
In his spare time, James Lister is an electronics and CB radio enthusiast, and also enjoys spending time with his boys and Belinda, who he paid tribute to as a “great source of support” in the lead-up to the last week’s LNP ballot.
He also says outgoing MP “The Borg” has likewise been a tower of support in recent times.
“I am my own person, but Lawrence has obviously been and will continue to be a valuable source of advice and help,” James said.
“He has been an excellent local member, and I can only hope to serve the electorate as well as he has done if I’m successful in winning Southern Downs for the LNP.”
