The Queensland Liberal National Party has announced the selection of a Vietnamese public servant, Trang Yen, to run in the by-election for Inala, set for March 16, 2024. This by-election was triggered by the resignation of former Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in December. Trang Yen will compete against Labor’s Margie Nightingale, who previously worked as a teacher and nurse and currently serves as a staffer to Treasurer Cameron Dick.
This will be the first major electoral test for new Queensland Premier Steven Miles ahead of the 2024 Queensland state election on Oct. 24. The Labor Party won Inala with 78.2 percent of the two-party preferred vote in the 2020 Queensland election, compared to just 21.8 percent for the Liberal National Party. This means a 28 percent swing is required for the seat to change hands. The seat of Inala has a 14.4 percent Vietnamese community and a median age of 34, with a median total household income of $1,511 (US$981) per census data.
Queensland Liberal National Party Opposition Leader David Crisafulli expressed his pride in having Trang Yen join the team as the candidate for Inala, noting that she has heard from residents about the challenges they face and has decided to serve the area that the Labor Party has taken for granted as its heartland. Labor Premier Miles, on the other hand, introduced Labor candidate Margie Nightingale on social media, praising her for her dedication to serving the community.
Ms. Nightingale held a campaign launch with volunteers, supporters, and some big-name politicians on the weekend and received words of support and encouragement from various figures. Meanwhile, Wendy Bourne from the Labor Party’s right faction has been selected to contest the Ipswich West seat. Labor in the 2020 election received 64.3 percent of the two-party preferred result in Ipswich West, compared to 35.7 percent for the Liberal National Party.