Nationals leader Matt Canavan said he plans to contest Capricornia in an interview with The Courier-Mail, as reported by The Guardian and The Nightly, after incumbent Michelle Landry said she would not seek another term.
Canavan is a Queensland senator and leader of the Nationals, according to the party’s official profile. A Capricornia bid would put him in the race for a seat in the House of Representatives. EconoTimes previously reported that Canavan had left open a possible Capricornia bid.
In the Courier-Mail interview, Canavan said the Nationals need to retain the seat to help change the government. He also said he wanted to “continue to deliver for Central Queensland.” The Guardian and The Nightly reported his comments from the interview.
In a statement on her official website, Landry said on Oct. 23 that she would not recontest Capricornia at the next federal election. She was first elected in 2013. Australian Electoral Commission results show she received 36,074 first-preference votes, or 36.56%, in 2025. In the final two-candidate-preferred count, Landry beat Labor’s Emily Mawson, 55.83% to 44.17%, a margin of 11,512 votes. One Nation candidate Cheryl Kempton received 15,355 first-preference votes, or 15.56%.
ABC News reported Oct. 24 that One Nation national director James Ashby was considering requests to run. Ashby told the broadcaster he had not ruled out running, and ABC News said the party’s Capricornia branch would select its candidate.
ABC News reported that Australia’s next federal election is due in 2028.
