Pathways to Politics graduates to contest state election

With the state election campaign kicking off this week, 14 program alumni have announced they will run for a seat in parliament on October 26, including four who completed the QUT course this year.

The strong state election turnout follows success at the local government level, with 26 program graduates campaigning across the state, and 13 elected to represent their communities, including two mayors.

QUT Pathways to Politics for Women program director Professor Vicky Browning said moving directly from the course onto the campaign trail would enable women to put the power of the course into practice.

“These women really want to make a difference and want to see politics done differently,” Professor Browning said.

“They are already very capable, but this program has upped the game. It transforms women.”

Days after graduating from the class of 2024, Kristie Lockhart was on the campaign trail after taking unpaid election leave to contest the seat of Redlands for the Queensland Greens.

“Because of the course, we are heading out with so much knowledge, skill and confidence, and without that, you’re not going to be the best version of yourself,” Ms Lockhart said.

“The entire cohort became very close. We are like sisters; despite being aligned to different parties we have each other for support. We have a chat group and regularly keep in touch, which is very heart-warming.”

Former and current Queensland politicians of all political persuasions gave their time to the non-partisan program, which saw 21 women complete the course at QUT in Brisbane this year.

All conversations and training sessions were conducted under the 'Chatham House Rules' to allow for honest, revealing insights to be shared in a protected environment.

Queensland trailblazers, including the first female Lord Mayor of Brisbane Sallyanne Atkinson AO and the first female leader of a political party Joan Sheldon AM, were among the politicians who shared their lived experience of political life with the latest cohort.

Current ministers including the Honourable Yvette D’Ath, Hon Leanne Linard and Hon Meaghan Scanlon spoke candidly about their political careers, as did newly elected Pathways to Politics for Women alumni from the March local government elections.

Fellow 2024 graduate, LNP candidate for Mount Ommaney Lisa Baillie, said the course solidified her decision to run for office.

“I was endorsed while I was on the program,” Ms Baillie said. "I’m a small business owner, not a politician, but I want to see change.

“As a candidate now, it’s all real, and I have a great group of women from the program to draw on for support.

“To think that one of us could be the 100th woman in Queensland politics is amazing but I’m not thinking about that too much. To me I want to get elected and help my community.”

Since the first Queensland parliament was convened in 1860, there have been 98 elected women.

In October last year, QUT began the countdown to 100 women in state parliament with a Q100 celebration attended by more than 50 former and current state politicians including Queensland’s first female premier Anna Bligh AC, and then current premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.