Callide – QLD 2017

LNP 9.8%

Incumbent MP
Jeff Seeney, since 1998.

Geography
Central Queensland. Callide covers regional areas inland from the central Queensland coast. The seat covers Biloela, Moura, Monto, Eidsvold, Mundubbera, Gayndah, Theodore, Taroom, Chinchilla, Calliope and Wandoan.

Redistribution
Callide lost its south-eastern corner, including Cherbourg, to Nanango, and lost a small area to the west of Bundaberg to Burnett. Callide took in the southern rural parts of the Gladstone council area from the seat of Gladstone (to the north of Callide), and northern parts of the Western Downs council area from the seats of Warrego, Nanango and Condamine.

History
Callide was created at the 1950 election, and apart from a short period in the 1980s has always been dominated by the Country/National/Liberal National parties.

Vincent Jones held the seat for the Country Party from 1950 to 1971.

At the 1972 election the seat was won by the Country Party’s Lindsay Hartwig. Hartwig won further terms in 1974, 1977 and 1980. In 1981 Hartwig was expelled from the National Country Party. He won re-election in 1983 as an independent and retired in 1986.

Di McCauley held Callide for the National Party from 1986 until 1998.

In 1998, McCauley was succeeded by Jeff Seeney.

Seeney won re-election in 2001, 2004 and 2006, and after the 2006 election became Leader of the National Party.

In 2008, Seeney was replaced by his predecessor Lawrence Springborg, who led the Nationals into a merger with the Liberal Party later that year.

Seeney won re-election as a Liberal National candidate in 2009, 2012 and 2015.

In March 2011, Campbell Newman replaced John-Paul Langbroek as leader of the LNP. As Newman did not hold a seat in the Parliament, Seeney was appointed as interim parliamentary leader.

Jeff Seeney served as deputy premier in the Newman government, and moved to the backbench after the 2015 election.

Candidates
Sitting Liberal National MP Jeff Seeney is not running for re-election.

• Jaiben Baker (Greens)
• Robbie Radel (Katter’s Australian Party)
• Darren Blackwood (Labor)
• Colin Boyce (Liberal National)
• Sandra Anderson (Independent)
• Sharon Lohse (One Nation)

Assessment
Labor is no threat to the LNP in Callide. Seeney only held on by approximately 6% in 2015 against the Palmer United Party, and One Nation has previously performed well in this area, including at the 2016 Senate election, so the LNP may face a serious threat from One Nation.

2015 election result

2015 two-party-preferred result

Booth breakdown

Booths in Callide have been divided into three areas: east, north-west and south.

The Liberal National Party’s primary vote ranged from 35.6% in the east to 56% in the south.

The Labor vote ranged from 21% in the south to 28% in the east. The Palmer United Party vote ranged from 10.6% in the south to 27% in the north-west.

Election results in Callide at the 2015 QLD state election
Click on the ‘visible layers’ box to toggle between Liberal National primary votes, Labor primary votes and Palmer United Party primary votes.