The result of the Hinchinbrook by-election was declared on November 29th, with the Liberal National Party candidate Wayde Chiesa winning the seat.
At Cherish Life, we are a non-party affiliated organisation, this means our responsibility is to inform our supporters and the wider public about every candidate who professes to be pro-life, and likewise to hold to account those who are not. At the beginning of the campaign, we sent a letter to all candidates, asking for their position on two specific questions: 1. Do you believe that babies should not be aborted after 20 weeks in utero?Yes, No, Unsure, 2.Do you believe that babies born alive after an abortion deserve a legal right to healthcare? Yes, No, Unsure.
We received only two responses: one from Katter Party candidate Mark Molachino and the other from Family First candidate Amanda Nickson both answered in the affirmative signalling their support for the unborn.
We also invited all candidates to two public events co-hosted with several excellent organisations committed to protecting the unborn: the Australian Christian Lobby (Queensland), Church and State Ministries, Family Voice (Queensland), Answers in Genesis, and the Australian Family Association. These events were held at Life Church in Ingham and Northshore Presbyterian Church in Townsville, and attendance from the community was very strong given the very short notice of the by-election.
It must be noted that the only candidates who attended were again Mark Molachino (Katter Party) and Amanda Nickson (Family First).
Given the longstanding anti-life positions held by Queensland Labor and the Greens, their absence was unsurprising. What was surprising and deeply concerning was the complete absence and total non-engagement of the LNP. The LNP provided no response to our letter, no response to our invitation, and no engagement whatsoever. When I personally approached the LNP candidate, Wayde Chiesa, at the Deeragun polling booth to discuss these issues, I was redirected to an aide who promised a reply that never came.
In a typical election, priorities may lie elsewhere but in this by-election, the full machinery of the LNP was focused on Hinchinbrook. Their highly coordinated campaign against Mark Molachino centred on a speculative claim that he would defect to Labor. The campaign was well-rehearsed and well-funded, with signage across the electorate. No doubt this hurt him significantly.
An additional observation was the rising support for One Nation, which had been evident in statewide polling and appeared clearly reflected in Hinchinbrook’s results, with a striking 8.9% marginal gain. I mentioned in a previous article that as Mr Crisafulli seems keen not to discuss “ideological” issues (even though all political philosophy is informed by ideology), the risk is that he leaves a conservative vacuum behind him. As the 2028 election approaches, this will be an important development to watch.
I also want to personally thank all those who contributed to our campaign. Even though we were not able to secure the result we hoped for, the educational component we ran alongside our advocacy efforts has already produced excellent analytics. For the first time, we executed a serious and financially supported social media strategy, and the level of engagement has far exceeded our expectations. We will continue to refine and strengthen this approach in the campaigns ahead.
In summary, it is disappointing that a Pro-Life candidate didn’t get elected. Likewise, what is disappointing is that Mr Chiesa, at this moment in time, appears to show no concern for the unborn children who are losing their lives within his electorate. We hope and pray that he will remember that he is elected to represent all people in Hinchinbrook including those who are unborn and protect them from the brutal and violent evil that is abortion and we would welcome the opportunity to discuss and educate in this area.
