James McGrath and Amanda Stoker are chalk and cheese. And while both call the Queensland Liberal-National Party their political home, their differences were on show during the party’s weekend Senate ticket vote.
Senator McGrath took the coveted first prize and, with the Nationals’ Matt Canavan being promised the second spot, assistant minister and Morrison favourite Amanda Stoker is left in third position.
That’s not a bad placing, and if you had a spare $5 it would be a fairly safe bet that she will also be elected, and that her career in Canberra, where she’s shown she’s not afraid to speak out and even happily court controversy, will continue.
Stoker, outside Queensland, was seen as the frontrunner before Saturday. Her star has been on the rise since nabbing a casual Senate vacancy a couple of years ago and her recent promotion by Scott Morrison to assistant attorney-general and assistant minister for women affirmed that position.
Outspoken on issues such as abortion, she had the support of the state’s Christian right but also those rank-and-file Queensland party members who relish that she’s not afraid to stand up and prosecute an unpopular argument she believes in.
Last year, she even took on former state LNP leader Deb Frecklington — the first woman to hold that post — claiming she was playing the “gender card” by speaking out against bullying by the party’s backroom.
So, the weekend’s vote — which saw McGrath win strongly by 212 votes to 101 — is not a repudiation of Stoker’s views, nor a snub to Scott Morrison or a slap down to the state’s religious right. It’s not the party shunning females in the top spot either, despite some noise around that.
It is sound politics: McGrath increases the odds in Scott Morrison’s favour. Here’s why.
The LNP holds every federal electorate — except one — north of the Brisbane River. Just imagine that, in a state as big as Queensland.
It holds all but seven of the state’s 30 seats. And LNP members’ IQ don’t need to be too high to understand the compulsion to keep those seats at the next election.
If Scott Morrison fails in Queensland, he’s out. He knows that, Labor Leader Anthony Albanese knows that — and that’s what was on the mind of many of those voting on Saturday.
James McGrath doesn’t quite look the part, like Amanda Stoker. It’s unlikely you’d see Stoker’s shirt hanging out, just as it’s unlikely for McGrath to tuck his in. With a prosecutor’s mind, Stoker would always be on time. McGrath might misplace his watch.
She’s clinical and precise and well-researched, and believes members should have put her in the number-one spot so she could continue to deliver for them.
McGrath is a scrapper, who helped bring down Tony Abbott. A fighter, who managed to have Campbell Newman elected Queensland premier from outside Parliament. A campaigner, who held a leading role in Boris Johnson’s UK mayoral campaign. Precision is less important than winning.
And that’s what LNP members wanted on the weekend. It was as simple as that.
Sure she’s a woman : and she’s every inch the privileged, ‘born to rule’, supercilious, intolerant, conservative ideologue of any male.
Why wouldn’t King be selling her and her Limited News Party to the greater public – including “outside Queensland”, who may not know that much about Stoker, and “don’t need too”. .
I’ve been wondering about this a lot since Sunday and wondering whether the fact that Pauline Hanson will be up for re-election might affect the chances of Stoker getting across the line.
It’s hard to see Labor with fewer than two senators, barring a complete collapse, and even with the PHON vote on the decline Hanson will be safe given her personal name recognition. So if that’s the case, it’s going to come down to a third LNP candidate or a Green for that sixth slot. Even in Queensland, that could be tricky.
Never underestimate the ‘kempt’ Stoker.
“Hard to see Labor with fewer than two senators”? Really? They only won one last time.
That’s true – I keep thinking 2019 was as rock bottom as Labor could get in Queensland, especially given the state election result. But you’re absolutely right, Labor could definitely choke again.
Donald Duck would win for the LNP in Qld.
And be about the same standard as the current LNP representation.
Labor “choked” in 2019 on Clive Palmer’s $68,000,000 targeted campaign regarding a “death tax” which didn’t exist. He prevented a massive swing that was forecast.
The state party called Clive Palmer out as a liar.
His and one nation’s votes dropped like a stone in the state election.
Let us see if federal Labor is smart enough to do the same.
Why settle for Amanda Stoker when you can have the real thing – Draymella Burt.
It’s funny watching a politician adhering so much to the lead given by a political advisor. Is Amanda that much of a puppet ….sorry “Muppet”? …. Sort of “Annie Sue” to Miss Burt’s “Miss Piggy”?
What is this article, Madonna…an unpaid advertisement for the LNP up your way? Total garbage!!!!!
I don’t live in Qld…thank goodness if this Stoker woman is the best you can do!
If only half of what I read about her is true, she belongs in the 1820’s…not the 21st century.
And I’m female!!
Women in the 1820’s made Australia.Women in 2020’s just want a well paid job with less boredom than being at home with the kids.
Oh, dear we have a “The hand that rocks the cradle rules the world”.
My female ancestors in Australia worked like dogs on their properties and had enormous numbers of children.
They personally would not want that me.
That is why, I all of my siblings were encouraged to work and get a tertiary qualification.
Considering that for every person arriving in Australia from 1788 to 1820 less than one in ten were women, Desmond again demonstrates his disconnection from reality.
An astonishing population explosion pre 1820, were your figures within cooee of being accurate, miscegenation notwithstanding.
Could be worse. Hopefully Feralbinchicken will never try out for a NSW Senate spot.
Thank you for the official line from NewsCorpse, where truth dies.