Ten candidates have now been announced in the race for Leichhardt, however, the wet season, public holidays and campaign priorities in larger population areas have left a question mark over how many of them will be spotted on Cape York before 3 May. Photo: Cape York Weekly.
With the 2025 federal election now less than three weeks away, 10 candidates will feature on the ballot paper in the fight to replace long-serving MP Warren Entsch as the Leichhardt representative in Canberra.
Katter’s Australian Party (KAP) announced this week Dr Daniel Collins would represent the party on the ballot paper on 3 May, meaning 10 candidates are now confirmed starters in the race to represent Cape York and the Torres Strait in the nation’s capital for the next three years.
Dr Collins will join Labor’s Matt Smith, Liberal National Party candidate Jeremy Neal, One Nation’s Robert Hicks, Greens runner Phillip Musumeci, Family First representative Les Searle, Legalise Cannabis Party candidate Nicholas Daniels, independent Munganbana Norman Miller, Greg Dowling and Lloyd Russell on corflutes across the region as voters decide who they want to fight for them in the halls of federal Parliament.
The timing of the election has been criticised by several candidates, with the wet season, school holidays and five public holidays throwing a spanner in the works of multiple plans to campaign in the northernmost part of the seat.
Mr Dowling, a former rugby league star, was also unveiled as a candidate last week and will fly the flag for Clive Palmer’s new Trumpet of Patriots.
The Legalise Cannabis Party will appear at the top of the Leichhardt ballot paper following the Australian Electoral Commission draw on Friday morning, with Mr Daniels securing the number one spot.
At the 2022 election, 11 candidates representing a broad range of parties contested the 150,000 square kilometre electorate.
The order the 10 candidates vying for Leichhardt will appear in following the Australian Electoral Commission’s ballot draw on 11 April. Photo: Supplied.
