Capricornia MP Michelle Landry’s announcement that she will retire at the next federal election leaves Nationals leader Matt Canavan weighing a possible lower-house bid as polling cited by The Guardian points to pressure on his Senate prospects.
At a Friday press conference, Landry said she would not contest the Queensland seat at the next federal election, ABC News reported. She has represented Capricornia since 2013. Rejecting speculation that she had been pushed aside, Landry said, “I certainly wasn’t pushed out by anyone.”
Canavan did not confirm whether he would seek the nomination. He said the Liberal National Party of Queensland would select a candidate later and announce its decision “in due course,” ABC News reported.
Redbridge director Kos Samaras said Canavan had a 0% chance of retaining a Senate seat in 2028 if One Nation’s polling surge continued, The Guardian reported. That figure was Samaras’ assessment, conditional on the surge continuing, rather than a probability produced by a poll.
The Guardian’s September Essential poll put One Nation’s primary vote at 25%, Labor’s at 29% and the Coalition’s at 22%. Samaras cautioned that polling was volatile and the outlook could change.
