Great opportunity to ‘parachute’ Amanda Stoker into House of Representatives03/05/2021|8min
Sky News host Peter Gleeson says there is now a “great opportunity” to parachute Assistant Attorney General Amanda Stoker into the House of Representatives.
Senator Stoker lost her bid for the top position on the Senate ticket to fellow Senator James McGrath and has now been relegated to the usually unwinnable third spot.
Mr Gleeson said there was an opportunity for Senator Stoker to be moved to the seat of Bowman where there will likely be a pre-selection battle.
“If she wants to get ahead in life, she needs to be in the House of Representatives rather than being a Senator,” he said.
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Conservative Queensland Senator Amanda Stoker has lost her bid for the top spot on the LNP s upper house ticket for the next federal election.
Senator James McGrath prevailed at the Saturday meeting of the LNP state council, garnering 212 votes to Senator Stoker s 101.
The result means that Senator Stoker will have the third spot on the ballot, with Nationals member Matt Canavan at number two.
The relegation is unlikely to lead to Senator Stoker s exit from parliament, as the coalition has won at least three Senate seats in Queensland at every federal election since 1998.
Senator McGrath, 46, quit his junior frontbench role in the lead up to Malcolm Turnbull being toppled as prime minister and played a key part in bringing down Tony Abbott.
It’s ‘up to Queenslanders’ to re-elect three Coalition Senators after Stoker dropping02/05/2021|5min
Liberal Senator Hollie Hughes says Queenslanders are “spoilt for choice” with the top three Coalition candidates on the Senate ticket – Matt Canavan, James McGrath and Amanda Stoker – and they need to ensure all three are returned.
Queensland LNP confirmed Senator McGrath would be placed above Senator Stoker on the ticket, dropping the assistant attorney general to the third spot – a traditionally difficult position to win from.
Senator Hughes said all three candidates were very strong, spruiking her personal ties with each, but reiterated that it was “really up to Queenslanders” to re-elect them all.
Politics by Hayden Johnson
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Subscriber only Experienced campaigner James McGrath will lead the Liberal National Party s Queensland Senate campaign following a nailbiting backroom battle at the party s State Council. Senator McGrath defeated rising star Amanda Stoker on Saturday to win the top spot on the ticket following a closed-door vote by the party faithful. Predictions of a tight contest were incorrect, with Senator McGrath winning a staggering 212 votes to Senator Stoker s 101 - with three informal. Senator James McGrath arrives at the Brisbane Convention Centre for the closed-door vote for the LNP’s Queensland Senate campaign. Picture: Liam Kidston