QLD 2015 – candidate update

Nominations close for the Queensland state election on Tuesday. So far, I’ve collected the names of 255 candidates who plan on running.

This compares to 430 candidates in 2012, and 397 in 2009. The record number was 438 in 1998. It’s possible that the number of candidates might be dropping compared to 2012, but you would expect a lot more candidates to emerge in the coming days. I’ve only identified 29 Greens candidates, when you’d expect them to run in most seats.

So far, I’ve identified Liberal National Party candidates in 86 out of 89 seats, and Labor candidates in 84 out of 89 seats. The LNP is yet to announce candidates in the Labor seats of Bundamba and South Brisbane, and in the seat of Gladstone, held by retiring independent MP Liz Cunningham.

Labor remains without a candidate in the very safe LNP seats of Buderim, Maroochydore and Southern Downs. There are also two seats where Labor is expected to win but the party does not currently have a candidate.

In Mackay, Labor’s deputy leader Tim Mulherin announced his retirement yesterday after initially being expected to run again. In Lytton, which is narrowly held by the LNP and is expected to fall easily to Labor, Labor candidate Daniel Cheverton withdrew in December after allegations of inappropriate behaviour.

Outside the two major parties, I’ve identified 29 Greens candidates, 16 Family First, 14 Palmer United, 9 Katter’s Australian and three One Nation candidates. I’ve also identified 14 independents.

As usual, I’ve analysed the gender balance for each party. It should be noted that for the main minor parties (Greens, KAP, PUP and Family First) it’s possible that additional candidates could significantly change the gender balance.

34.5% of Labor candidates are women, with five more candidates yet to be selected. Only 20.9% of LNP candidates are women. 31% of Greens candidates announced so far are women.

A quarter of Family First candidates are women, but only one out of fourteen PUP candidates are women. Katter’s Australian Party have announced no women candidates so far.

On average, 2.87 candidates have been announced per seat.

There are three seats where only one candidate has been announced: Buderim, Bundamba and Southern Downs. There are also four seats with five candidates – over a third of seats have three candidates, and about a third of seats have only two candidates.

I will update candidate listings on Wednesday, after nominations close on Tuesday.

You can download the spreadsheet here.

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