LNP names former city councillor as candidate in Stafford byelection

The Crisafulli government has endorsed former Brisbane City councillor Fiona Hammond as the LNP’s candidate for the inner-north seat of Stafford, days after announcing a snap by-election to be held on May 16.

Labor announced Luke Richmond – a lawyer with a background in health policy – as its candidate on Saturday.

The byelection follows the recent death of independent member for Stafford Jimmy Sullivan, who was found dead in his home less than a year after he was expelled from the Labor Party amid highly publicised personal battles.

Premier David Crisafulli described Hammond as “an amazing community champion” with a “track record of delivering” for the northside electorate during her time as councillor, and said she was an ideal candidate to challenge the Labor-dominated seat.

“This byelection is a choice between the progress that we [the LNP] are making in dealing with youth crime – and health, and housing, and cost of living – and the contrast with the decade of decline and the chaos and crisis under the former government,” Crisafulli said.

He continued that the byelection would be an opportunity to test voters’ appetite for the LNP’s fuel agenda – a strong focus of recent weeks – touting his vision to drill, refine and store fuel in Queensland.

“I’m really keen to make sure that the residents in this local area do have an opportunity to be able to have a say on that,” he said.

Hammond, who unsuccessfully ran at the October 2024 state election, was pressed on her endorsement in the wake of Sullivan’s death, but refused to be drawn on questions about his treatment by members of the LNP.

“This is a tragic day for the Sullivan family, and that’s what I’ll be focused on,” Hammond said.

“As a community leader, you have to live by example. So you’ve got to remember it was not the LNP that kicked Mr Sullivan out of the party, it was the ALP that kicked him out and left him in the wilderness again.”

Pollsters and strategists expect Labor to win the byelection but are eagerly anticipating which party will suffer most from a rise in support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation party.

One Nation secured a primary vote of just 3.2 per cent in Stafford at the 2024 election, and while it is not expected to attract the support needed to join the crossbench, a vote in the mid-to-high teens was likely.

“It’s highly likely that One Nation hits the LNP, and that Labor’s primary doesn’t move, because Labor’s primary is largely made up of the type of constituencies that are not moving to One Nation in these parts of the country,” RedBridge group director Kos Samaras said.

Labor deputy leader Cameron Dick said the byelection would be a test for Crisafulli, “who hasn’t ruled out doing a deal with One Nation”.

“A One Nation-LNP alliance is bad for Stafford and it’s bad for Queensland,” Dick said.

With Matt Dennien and James Hall.

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