General News
17 March, 2025
Candidates on the hustings
Most of the candidates for the seat of Groom have now been announced and are campaigning, including Independent candidate Suzie Holt at Oakey.
Ms Holt visited Oakey recently along with 28 of her campaign volunteers, to put on a barbecue at Bicentennial Park for locals interested in an alternative to the incumbent member.
Ms Holt said her presence in the race has caused the Coalition to pay more attention to what had previously been one of the nation’s safest seats.
“After years of being taken for granted, the strong threat to our local Federal MP Garth Hamilton has seen him announce an election promise of $4 million to the Toowoomba Hockey Association to deliver upgrades to the grandstand and multipurpose facilities,” she said.
“That’s great news for Toowoomba Hockey. I’ll be very happy to help as I have done with the Toowoomba Equestrian Centre.
“Only recently however, it was announced that Groom didn’t get a cent from the Growing Regions fund - a fund that saw surrounding electorates including Maranoa, receive large amounts.
“I’m sure there will be more election promises made both large and small now there is political competition in play, so I encourage people to get their projects ready.
“I’ve encouraged Oakey Chamber of Commerce President Dave Cooper to develop a Regional Plan for Oakey.”
Ms Holt, has the backing of the Climate 200 group (also known as ‘Teals’) and is one of three former candidates returning to challenge Mr Hamilton in Groom, along with fellow Independent Kirstie Smolenski, and 2020 Greens by-election candidate Alyce Nelligan.
Two new candidates this election are Labor’s Richard Edwards and One Nation’s Rebecca Konz.
