Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced Ali France will run for her third election against Peter Dutton for the Queensland seat of Dickson.
Albanese announced France would be the Labor candidate for the marginal seat, which encompasses outer suburbs in Brisbane’s north – an electorate that Opposition leader Peter Dutton has held since 2001.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, France said she is confident that Labor could secure the seat in the next election, expected to be held in 2025.
“I think we can win this,” she said. “And I think there’s a lot at stake this election… a lot at stake for this region. A lot at stake for this country.
“I think it’s incredibly important for me to stand this time. I’m going to put absolutely everything into it, and I absolutely think that we can win.”
In the 2022 federal election, France secured 31.7 per cent of first preference vote, reflecting a 0.4 per cent swing in her favour. Dutton won 42.1 per cent of first preferences, a 3.9 per cent swing vote against him. After preferences, Dutton won the seat with 51.7 per cent of the final count.
Currently, there are just five seats held by the Labor party in the 30 federal electorates of Queensland, and in the last federal election, Labor did not win a single seat in the state.
On announcing France’s Labor party candidacy for the seat of Dickson, Albanese said he is hopeful the candidates can defeat the Greens and the LNP, parties that dominate the electorates in Queensland.
“We’ve got the right candidates,” Albanese said.
“The opportunism of the Greens and the reactionary policies of the LNP are what we will be campaigning against here in Queensland.”
Who is Ali France?
Ali France is a former journalist, communications manager and world champion para-athlete. Born and raised in the Moreton Bay area, she is a single mum and is currently living in the Moreton Bay suburb of Arana Hills.
In 2011, France became an amputee, losing her leg in a car crash. Her experience as an amputee, navigating systems like Medicare and the NDIS, inspired her entry into political life.
But above all, France wants to serve the community that supported her in the difficult periods of her life.
We can win and we must win Dickson!
— Ali France (@alifrance5) July 12, 2024
So happy to be given another opportunity to represent the people of #Dickson and be part of the Labor team. @AlboMP pic.twitter.com/uianxdCnZA
“This community has given me so much support, so much strength in so many hard times, and more recently, there have been so many people in this community that have been so good to me,” France said.
Albanese said a win for Labor in Dickson with France as the candidate would not only diversify the Labor party, but be a more accurate reflection of modern Australia.
“You just look at a sea of people who just look the same on the other side (the Opposition government),” Albanese said.
“And I think that does a disservice to the Australian public.”
‘This is so incredibly important.’
In February this year, France lost her teenage son, Henry, to a battle with leukaemia. Henry was a huge support for France, and she said he would be proud of her for running in this next election.
“Obviously, I’m incredibly sad that he is not here,” France said.
“But he said to me many times on many different issues: ‘Don’t make me the excuse for not doing the important things.’
“And this is so incredibly important.”