{"id":135903,"date":"2016-02-23T14:20:22","date_gmt":"2016-02-23T04:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=135903"},"modified":"2020-06-27T17:44:43","modified_gmt":"2020-06-27T07:44:43","slug":"seeney-tilts-at-wide-bay","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2016\/02\/23\/seeney-tilts-at-wide-bay\/","title":{"rendered":"Seeney Tilts At Wide Bay"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Member for Callide Jeff Seeney<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

February 23, 2016<\/strong><\/p>\n

As tipped last week, former Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney has thrown his hat in the ring for the Federal seat of Wide Bay.<\/p>\n

LNP nominations for the seat, held by outgoing deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss, opened on Monday afternoon.<\/p>\n

Mr Seeney confirmed told the media on Monday night he’d made up his mind to enter the pre-selection process to choose Mr Truss’ successor.<\/p>\n

“In keeping with the LNP constitution as a candidate seeking endorsement, I will be unable to make any further comment about my candidacy until after the pre-selection process is completed,” Mr Seeney said.<\/p>\n

Nominations for Wide Bay will close on March 7.<\/p>\n

Mr Seeney, a former Monto Shire councillor and Nationals leader, has served as the Member for Callide since 1998.<\/p>\n

Last week Mr Seeney said he thought his talents and abilities were not “being used to their fullest extent on behalf of the people of regional Queensland”.<\/p>\n

He said he was disappointed not to have a more active role in the Opposition.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Mr Seeney’s Toowoomba South colleague and fellow former Newman Government frontbencher John McVeigh is also expected to make a tilt for Canberra.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Ian Macfarlane’s impending departure from Federal politics will open up the seat of Groom, which Mr McVeigh’s father, Tom, had previously held.<\/p>\n

If one or both men are successful in winning pre-selection for Wide Bay and Groom, by-elections would have to be held in Callide and Toowoomba South.<\/p>\n