Scott Buchholz (Wright, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

On the weekend just past in Queensland, the Liberal National Party preselection was held for our Queensland Senate team. In a very democratic process, 300 preselectors rolled up and elected six fine candidates.

I am proud to announce that No. 1 on our Senate ticket is Ian Macdonald, the incumbent senator who has made an enormous contribution in the other place and to the party as a whole. No. 2 on the ticket is James McGrath, who played an integral role in Queensland by heading up the state campaign. James will bring value and commitment to the team. Matt Canavan is No. 3 on the ticket. He is currently serving as Chief of Staff to Senator Barnaby Joyce. Matt worked previously as an economist at the Productivity Commission and has a wealth of knowledge. David Goodwin, who is the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry Queensland and an outstanding performer, is No. 4 on the ticket. No. 5 on the ticket is Theresa Craig. She is a Canadian by birth and new to Australia. She has a science background specialising in agriculture. Amanda Stoker, an up-and-coming barrister, is No. 6 on the ticket. All these candidates are of outstanding quality.

We had the difficulty of trying to choose from 16 different candidates up there vying for that Senate position, which shows the strength of commitment of Queenslanders. In the room with our 300 preselectors we had over 7,000 or 7,500 years of experience from our membership, which chose that wonderful team.

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