By Jeremy Sollars
Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and the Australian Labor Party have both endorsed candidates to run against sitting LNP Maranoa federal MP David Littleproud at the next federal election.
One Nation has endorsed Rosemary Moulden of Murrays Bridge east of Warwick, while the ALP will field Blackbutt resident Linda Little.
Both candidates were endorsed by their respective parties with little fanfare in late 2018.
The next federal election is due by May of this year but with the current turbulent political climate in Canberra an early poll is not out of the question, and Queensland will be a key battleground.
ALP candidate Linda Little’s online profile states she lives on a farm with her husband Phil and their two foster children, and that she has “extensive experience in small business, farming, and retail”.
One Nation’s Rosemary Moulden’s online profile states she “assists her husband in farming and property management, also dividing her time caring for an elderly parent and frequently caring for their grandchildren”, and has worked in aged care as a registered nurse.
The profile states she also runs a homoeopathic business in Warwick and has been involved in local groups including Warwick Rotary and the Zonta Club of Warwick.
David Littleproud was elected as the federal member for Maranoa at the 2016 election, representing the Liberal National Party (LNP).
He and his family are based in Warwick and he has electorate offices in Warwick, Dalby and Roma.
Mr Littleproud is the Federal Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources and is widely seen as a future federal LNP leader. It is understood he will campaign at the forthcoming federal election under the ‘Nationals’ banner, one of a group of regional LNP MPs who are believed to be sceptical of the electoral value of the LNP ‘brand’ in regional electorates such as Maranoa.
Maranoa is currently the safest LNP federal seat in Queensland – and the eighth-safest for the LNP nationally – and is held by Mr Littleproud with a margin of 17.5 per cent.
One Nation finished ahead of the ALP in Maranoa at the 2016 federal election.
