News
29 October, 2024
In youth we trust
Ariana Doolan has made history as the youngest woman elected to Queensland Parliament, unseating Labor’s Ali King in the marginal seat of Pumicestone.
The 22-year-old LNP candidate said her victory showed the community was after “a fresh start” and refused to be swayed by the campaign targeting her youth.
Despite counting still underway this week, Labor’s Ali King called Ms. Doolan to concede late Monday afternoon.
Ms. Doolan had garnered a near 7 per cent swing and was ahead 51.7 per cent to Ms. King’s 48.3 per cent after preferences with 80 per cent of votes counted.
“The people of Pumicestone have chosen a fresh start for our community,” Ms. Doolan told The Sentinel this week.
“I’m honoured and humbled by their trust, and I vow to work tirelessly to deliver the real results they deserve.”
Calling the count “nail-biting,” Ms. Doolan said results swung between the two candidates through the night.
“We stayed up until 2am, watching the polls on TV,” she said.
“Numbers kept shifting, and we were on edge, but luck turned in my favour by early Sunday morning.”
She added that support from her community was especially moving during what was often a challenging campaign.
“So many people came up to me and gave me hugs, saying they didn’t care how young I was or that I still lived at home—they believed in me and what I, along with the LNP, could deliver,” she said.
As the youngest woman in Queensland Parliament, Ms. Doolan is poised to bring a fresh perspective.
While serving, she plans to complete her double bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science and Business at Griffith University in the coming months.
She also intends to leverage her experience with the Bribie Island Environmental Protection Association (BIEPA) to prioritise conservation issues.
“I’ll be working closely with the new Environment Minister to protect local ecosystems, Pumicestone Passage, and Bribie Island,” she said.
“I want to ensure a sustainable future for generations to come, but my focus will be on delivering real, tangible improvements that make a difference in people’s everyday lives.”
In her first 100 days in office, she aims to tackle long-standing issues like adult crime, unreliable power supply, and inadequate public transport.
“I know that the work now begins; everything I have done has led to this moment, and now the real work starts,” Ms. Doolan said.
“I’m actually very excited, and of course, a little nervous, because it’s something that I haven’t done before."
“I’m looking forward to delivering our projects over the four-year term.”
Ms. Doolan’s early agenda includes smaller infrastructure projects such as lighting at the Beachmere rugby league club, resurfacing the Bribie Island netball courts, upgrading footpaths on Pumicestone roads, and launching an on-demand bus trial for Bribie.
“A major focus will be ensuring that by Christmas, we pass our ‘adult crime, adult time’ law,” she added.
