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Labor Retains Stafford After Kedron Voters Drive Sharp LNP Surge

Labor retained Stafford after voters across Kedron and Brisbane’s inner north delivered a strong swing towards the Liberal National Party in one of the closest contests seen in the electorate in recent years.

The Stafford by-election, held on 16 May, saw Labor candidate Luke Richmond edge ahead of LNP challenger Fiona Hammond after preference flows pushed him past the line following a tense night of counting.

While Labor retained the seat once held by late MP Jimmy Sullivan, the result reflected shifting voter sentiment in suburbs including Kedron, Stafford Heights and Gordon Park.

The LNP secured more than 40 per cent of the primary vote, recording a swing towards the governing party in an electorate that has traditionally leaned Labor. The final result remained uncertain late into election night as postal votes and preferences continued to be counted.

Kedron Booths Show Stronger Support for the LNP

Results across Kedron polling booths showed stronger support for the LNP than in previous elections. Voters raised concerns about housing affordability, traffic congestion, rising household costs and pressure on local infrastructure as both major parties fought to win over undecided residents.

Labor’s primary vote dropped significantly compared with the last state election, while the LNP improved its position in several booths across the electorate. An election analyst noted the swing against Labor was significant compared with previous results in Brisbane’s inner north.

The Greens also played a major role in the outcome. Unlike previous elections, the party issued an open how-to-vote position rather than directing preferences to Labor. Despite that, a large share of Greens preferences still flowed back to Richmond during the final count.

Steven Miles Under Pressure After Close Stafford Result

The result has intensified scrutiny on Queensland Opposition Leader Steven Miles, who campaigned heavily throughout Kedron and surrounding suburbs during the short by-election campaign.

Speaking after the count, Mr Miles said Labor had expected a difficult contest given the large number of candidates and Ms Hammond’s profile as a former Brisbane city councillor. He maintained that holding the seat showed the party was rebuilding after its defeat at the 2024 state election.

However, senior figures within the LNP quickly framed the outcome as a political setback for Labor. Premier David Crisafulli described the swing towards the government as unexpected, while Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie argued the result showed dissatisfaction with Miles’ leadership.

Housing and Cost Pressures Shape Local Debate

Campaign discussions frequently focused on local issues including housing and transport. Residents across Kedron and Stafford pointed to rising rents, overcrowded roads and concerns about future development in established neighbourhoods.

Ms Hammond centred much of her campaign on long-term planning and cost-of-living pressure, while Mr Richmond focused on health services, schools and maintaining investment in local facilities.

At campaign events and polling booths, voter concerns frequently centred on local economic pressures rather than broader party messaging. Several reports linked the swing to concerns about mortgage repayments and housing affordability.

The by-election was triggered after Mr Sullivan’s passing in April. Mr Sullivan, who represented Stafford since 2015, was known for his local campaigning work across the electorate. His passing influenced the tone of the campaign across the electorate.

Preferences Decide the Final Outcome

As counting continued into Sunday, Labor’s lead remained dependent on preference distributions rather than first-choice votes alone. Postal voting heavily favoured the LNP, while Greens and minor-party preferences helped Mr Richmond move ahead in the final tally.

The outcome means Labor keeps the Stafford seat, while the swing recorded in Kedron and nearby suburbs is expected to draw attention from both major parties ahead of the 2028 Queensland election.

Published 19-May-2026

Hidden Dangers on Brisbane Paths Leave Stafford Pet Owner with Massive Vet Bill

Photo Credit: GoFundMe

A Stafford pet owner is enduring every dog lover’s worst nightmare after a routine riverside walk left her young spaniel fighting for survival against a highly toxic drug ingestion.

Demi Hagenbach took her dog, Swiftie, for a regular outing between Newstead Park and New Farm Park on Sunday, May 10. During the walk, the spaniel consumed an unknown substance off the ground, which her owner suspects was human faeces. Later that evening, the dog began exhibiting highly erratic behaviour, including severe panting, drooling, and aimless circling that lasted for hours.

After a local emergency clinic initially sent them home, Hagenbach rushed the rapidly deteriorating dog to the Animal Emergency Service in Underwood. Medical professionals conducted a urine test that revealed a shocking diagnosis. The young dog had ingested a massive amount of methamphetamine, THC, ecstasy, and ibuprofen.

Veterinarians noted that the severe neurological symptoms, which included body tremors and difficulty walking, meant the animal required immediate sedation and oxygen support. Swiftie spent five days in the intensive care unit battling internal bleeding and a secondary urinary tract infection.

GOFUNDME

The financial toll of the emergency quickly matched the emotional devastation. The intensive care treatment cost up to $3,000 per night, rapidly exhausting Hagenbach’s annual pet insurance limit of $15,000. Medical staff warned that the dog requires ongoing constant observation and potentially a $5,000 MRI to check for meningitis or an internal brain bleed, making her recovery far more complex than initially expected.

In response to the escalating crisis, Grace Hagenbach organised a community fundraiser to help cover the staggering veterinary debts and necessary surgical interventions. The family stated that any leftover funds would be directed to the Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation to support further research into diseases affecting local pets.

Published Date 19-May-2026

Number Plate Thefts Rise Across North Brisbane as Residents Warned to Secure Cars

A string of stolen number plates across North Brisbane has pushed police to warn drivers that a small piece of metal on the back of a car can quickly become a tool for bigger crimes. In just 24 hours, officers received seven reports of registration plates being taken from parked vehicles in suburbs stretching from Sandgate to Hamilton, raising concerns among residents already dealing with vehicle break-ins and theft across the city.

The warning was issued on May 8 by Sgt Jodie Murray through the Queensland Police Service after thefts were reported in Kedron, Hamilton, Northgate, Wilston and Sandgate.

Police said stolen registration plates are often attached to other vehicles to avoid detection during criminal activity, including fuel theft, traffic offences and the use of stolen cars. The practice can also leave innocent drivers dealing with toll notices, fines and police inquiries linked to offences they did not commit.

North Brisbane suburbs see sharp increase in plate thefts

Officers from the Gateway District Crime Prevention Unit said the recent cases appeared opportunistic, with thieves targeting vehicles parked on streets and in open areas where screws could be removed quickly.

Police are now encouraging drivers to replace standard screws with anti-theft fittings designed to make number plates harder to remove. The special one-way screws can only be taken out using equipment carried by police.

The crime prevention unit has been distributing free anti-theft screw packs to North Brisbane residents through an online request program first introduced several years ago. The packs include screws and vehicle security information aimed at reducing repeat offences.

Residents urged to rethink where vehicles are parked overnight

Police are also advising residents to use locked garages, gated driveways or off-street parking whenever possible, particularly overnight.

Vehicle-related theft has remained a concern across parts of Brisbane, with registration plates often targeted because they can be removed in less than a minute using common tools.

The Queensland Police Service North Brisbane crime prevention page states that securing plates properly can reduce the risk of stolen identifiers being used in further offences.

Authorities are asking anyone who notices suspicious behaviour around parked vehicles to report it through Policelink or anonymously through Crime Stoppers Queensland.

Community concern grows as stolen plates linked to wider offences

For many drivers, the theft of a number plate may appear minor compared with car theft, but police say the impact can spread far beyond the original crime scene.

Once stolen plates are attached to another vehicle, they can complicate investigations and create stress for vehicle owners who later receive notices connected to offences committed by someone else.

Published 12-May-2026

Kedron Brook Driver Appeals For Help After Toyota 86 Race Car Theft

Photo Credit: Emily Caccaviello/Facebook

A young Brisbane race driver’s stolen Toyota 86 remains missing after it was taken from the Stafford/Kedron Brook area, despite an update that a man is believed to be in custody over the theft.

Stafford/Kedron Brook Race Car Search Continues

A young Brisbane race driver is still searching for her Toyota 86 Scholarship Series car after it was stolen with an open trailer from Shand Street in the Stafford/Kedron Brook area.

Emily Caccaviello said the car and trailer were taken between 9pm and 4am. The theft was reported to police, and she has continued appealing for information while the search for the race car remains active.

The open trailer was later recovered in the Greenbank area, but the Toyota 86 itself has not been found. Caccaviello said the car had been sighted around Greenbank and Jimboomba, and she believed it may still be somewhere in that broader area.

The missing car is a matte black Toyota 86 bearing the number 213.

Custody Update In Stolen Toyota 86 Case

Caccaviello said she had been informed that a man had been taken into custody in connection with the theft of her car and others. In a later update, she said she believed the person who stole the trailer with the car on it was in custody, and that she hoped he would provide the car’s whereabouts.

Despite that development, the search has not ended. Caccaviello has continued asking people to watch for anything suspicious and to contact police or reach out with any information.

The case has drawn attention from the racing community, with supporters sharing her appeal and offering messages of concern after the theft.

Trailer Found But Race Car Still Missing

The recovery of the trailer has provided one clear development in the case, but the main search remains focused on the missing race car.

Caccaviello had been competing in the IRC Racing Series at Queensland Raceway while the search for her Toyota 86 continued. Her father, Leon Caccaviello, said the theft had placed significant stress on his daughter, while noting that she had still managed to compete over the weekend.

He also raised concern about scam attempts from people claiming to have the car. The warning adds another difficulty to the search, with the family urging people to focus on genuine information that may help recover the vehicle.

Leon Caccaviello appealed to whoever has the car to return it, saying it could be dropped off at Browns Plains police station with a reward offered and no questions asked. Emily Caccaviello also said a reward would be offered if the car was returned to her or to police.

Anyone with information has been asked to contact police or Emily Caccaviello through her social media channels.

Published 7-May-2026

Padua’s New-Look Side Delivers Early Statement With Shutout Win

Padua College’s next generation didn’t just take the field — they made a statement. After unveiling a First XV featuring 11 debutants to open the 2026 AIC rugby season, Padua has followed it up with a commanding 45-0 win over St Edmund’s in Ipswich, underlining the potential of its reshaped squad.

The result was built on control and discipline. Padua matched St Edmund’s physicality early before pulling away through strong execution, with the young side showing composure beyond its experience level.

The forward pack, a focal point of the pre-season reset, delivered immediately. Hooker Andy Mercer and flanker Will Maitland were influential, helping set the tone through the middle as Padua’s pack began to assert itself.

That group — including Sam Heritage, Mercer, Leon Lane, Max Walsh, Remy Carlaw, Maitland, Diezel Jimmink and Felix Styman-Bailey — combined effectively, with Heritage crossing twice and Lane adding another as the visitors built scoreboard pressure.

By the time rain set in during the second half, the result was already beyond doubt. Padua’s defensive structure held firm, closing out the match with a clean sheet and reinforcing the identity the side is beginning to form.

In the backline, fullback Rueben Smith loomed as a key attacking threat, while captain Will Kreis provided leadership and stability through the centres.

Coach Andrew Clyne pointed to the side’s defensive resolve and energy as defining features of the performance, particularly in the closing stages where the group maintained intensity despite the conditions. He also noted the contribution across the squad, including a strong impact from the bench.

For St Edmund’s, there were bright spots despite the result. Flanker Noah Ingham stood out on debut, making his presence felt at the breakdown and across the field, while lock Joel Rutherford also impressed.

For Padua, the takeaway is clear. A new-look side, tested immediately, has delivered a result that reinforces belief — and sets a platform for what comes next in the 2026 campaign.

Published 2-May-2026

New-Look Padua Unleashes Next Generation With 11 Debuts in Season Opener

Padua College has unveiled a new-look First XV to open the 2026 AIC rugby season, with a significant wave of fresh faces set to shape its campaign.

The side heads into Round 1 with 11 debutants, signalling a clear transition year as the college leans on emerging talent to begin a new chapter.

Padua’s intake of new players is one of the largest in the competition this season, with the forward pack and backline both undergoing notable change.

Among those stepping into the First XV for the first time are front-rowers Sam Heritage and Andy Mercer, while locks Max Walsh and Remy Carlaw add size to the engine room. The loose forward trio will also feature new combinations, with Will Maitland, Diezel Jimmink, and Felix Styman-Bailey all earning their debuts.

In the halves, Callum Youngson and Lucas Humphrys take on key playmaking roles, with Humphrys continuing a family link to the program as the younger brother of former premiership-winning No.10 Damon Humphrys.

Out wide, Addison Harker and Archie Laloata round out a backline that blends new energy with a smaller group of returning players.

The scale of change points to a fresh start, but also an opportunity. With a large share of the starting side experiencing First XV rugby for the first time, early cohesion will be critical as the season unfolds.

Padua opens its campaign against St Edmund’s, with the new group tasked with quickly finding rhythm in the competitive AIC schoolboy rugby environment. The challenge is immediate, but so is the chance to establish a new identity from the outset.

Published 30-April-2026

A Life in Schools: Kedron Principal Retires After 44 Years of Service

Martin Wilkie retired from St Anthony’s School in Kedron in Week 2 of Term 2, closing a 44-year career with Brisbane Catholic Education that began in a classroom not unlike the one he sat in as a child, and ended at the helm of one of BCE’s largest primary schools, with almost 700 students and five streams of Prep and Year One.

The scale of the farewell was something he did not entirely see coming. Once he announced his retirement, former students, parents and staff came to him in a steady stream to say what his leadership had meant to them.

“I have truly been humbled by this experience,” Wilkie said.

It is a fitting end for a principal who spent three decades making a point of being visible, present and genuinely invested in the people around him.

From a Dairy Farm to a Classroom

Long before he arrived in Kedron, Wilkie’s journey began on a dairy farm in the Scenic Rim. Life as a schoolboy involved a daily quarter-mile trek to the farm gate before catching a 30-minute bus into Beaudesert, where he attended St Mary’s School from 1966 to 1972.

Mr Martin Wilkie — Photo Credit: St Anthony’s School Kedron

The bus did not drop Catholic students at their school gate, so there was an extra walk at the end too. None of it deterred him.

His mother had been a teacher before marrying a dairy farmer, and her influence, combined with a clear-eyed sense that farming life was not for him, pointed him toward the classroom. Wilkie eventually traded the farm for the blackboard, returning to his old stomping grounds at St Mary’s to kick off his teaching career. He spent his first six years there before moving through the Brisbane Catholic Education system.

The world he retired from looks almost nothing like the one he entered. In the 1960s, classes of 40 students in a single stream were the norm. Wilkie grew up in an era of single stream classes with 40 students, and now he retires from a busy metropolitan school. At St Anthony’s, he led nearly 700 students, including five streams of Prep and Year One alone.

Thirty Years in the Principal’s Chair

Wilkie’s first principal appointment was at St Elizabeth’s School in Tarragindi, where he also became engaged, married and a father to twin boys in the span of two years. He describes the community’s celebration of every milestone with warmth that has clearly not faded.

An early lesson in the weight of the role came in 1995, when he was appointed Acting Principal at St Elizabeth’s following the sudden death of the principal from a heart attack at his desk. That moment shaped how Wilkie understood the relationship between work and life for the rest of his career.

“I learnt very quickly that there had to be a life outside of work as much as possible,” he said.

He and his wife, also a teacher, raised three children through his years as a principal. He acknowledges missing every one of their first days at school because of his professional responsibilities, but credits a philosophy of putting family first, for his staff as much as for himself, with building the kind of culture that sustained his schools.

“Happy staff equals happy school,” he said. “It doesn’t matter how much social media marketing a school may have, if you have a happy staff, happy families. The school will market itself.”

What He Built at Kedron

Wilkie spent nine years leading St Anthony’s, and his hopes for its future reflect what he worked to build during that time. Wilkie’s nine-year tenure at Kedron was defined by the school’s unique Franciscan identity. He worked closely with the neighbouring Mount Alvernia and Padua Colleges, ensuring St Anthony’s remained a vital part of the local Franciscan Parish.

Photo Credit: St Anthony’s School/Facebook

“We have something incredibly unique here at Kedron with the Franciscan Friars and Missionary Franciscan Sisters still a visible presence in the community,” he said.

His practical advice for the principals who will follow him centres on something he considers non-negotiable: get out of the office. He was in the playground at almost every break and around the school before and after hours throughout his 30 years as a principal, and he argues that visibility is not optional.

“My advice to aspiring principals is not to forget that we are there for the students,” he said. “Sitting in the office in back-to-back meetings or dealing with administrative tasks could always wait.”

For the students he is leaving behind, his parting message is quieter and more personal: be kind, be compassionate, and appreciate the education in front of you.

A New Chapter After 44 Years

Wilkie closes his BCE career knowing the next cyclone, severe thunderstorm or pandemic, the kinds of events that kept him awake through countless nights in the principal role, will no longer demand his presence at school on a Sunday afternoon. He is ready for that.

“Finally, after 30 years, I can just look after my own family,” he said.

For enrolment enquiries or more information about St Anthony’s School Kedron, visit the school’s website at sta.bne.catholic.edu.au or phone the school directly.

Published 30-April-2026

Kedron Student Selected for Queensland Bowls Team after 9 Months in Sport

Photo Credit: Northern Suburbs Bowls Club/Facebook

Kedron State High School’s Nicholas “Nick” Coupland has earned a place in Queensland’s under-18 lawn bowls team after playing the sport for less than a year, whilst also claiming a silver medal at the state championships representing his local club in Brisbane’s north.

The achievement was recognised in early 2026, following the 2026 Junior State Championships run by Bowls Queensland, where junior players from across the state competed in multiple formats.

Nick has quickly become known within the school community for his progress in lawn bowls. He is also a member of Northern Suburbs Bowls Club in Wavell Heights, where he competes in junior competitions.

Nick’s selection places him among a group of young athletes chosen to represent Queensland in lawn bowls, following performances at sanctioned events and championships.

Northern Suburbs Bowls Club has indicated through its posts that it supports junior development and welcomes new players, with Nick’s progress offering a clear example of how quickly young athletes can move through the ranks when given access to coaching and competition.

According to Bowls Queensland, junior state squads are selected based on results and development within the sport’s competitive structure. His runner-up finish in the under-18 singles event reflects the standard of competition at the state level, where players progress through qualifying rounds before reaching finals.

Nick’s achievement has drawn attention within the Kedron community to junior lawn bowls, a sport that continues to build participation among younger players in Brisbane.

Published 24-April-2026

A Taste of New Mexico Is Landing in Stafford This June

MattGush/iStock

Sancho Taqueria & Tequileria, a New Mexican restaurant opening on Stafford Road in Stafford in early June, is the latest venture from the team behind Farmhouse Kedron and Oh Boy, Bok Choy!, and it is built entirely around a cuisine that most Australians have never encountered, let alone tasted.

It’s easy to confuse New Mexico with Mexico, but they’re not the same, and that distinction sits at the heart of what Amanda Scott is building at Sancho. The landlocked American state sandwiched between Texas and Arizona carries one of the most layered culinary histories in the Western Hemisphere, shaped over centuries by Pueblo Native American traditions, Spanish colonisation, Mexican influence and the American frontier.

The result is a cuisine with its own vocabulary, its own official state question and its own deeply regional soul, and almost none of it has made it to Brisbane until now.

“We’re not doing a Mexican restaurant because it’s on trend,” Scott said. “We’re doing a New Mexican restaurant because it’s part of our family story. Every venue we do has a connection with our family story.”

A Family Connection to Albuquerque and Santa Fe

The connection runs deep. Scott’s father moved to New Mexico as a child and it was there that he fell in love with the Spanish language and culture. Her parents married in Albuquerque and honeymooned in Santa Fe. New Mexican food has been part of the Scott family table for her entire life.

That personal history shapes the entire premise of Sancho. Rather than chasing a dining trend, Scott is translating lived memory into a neighbourhood restaurant, the same instinct that drove Farmhouse Kedron, which has won Restaurant and Catering Australia’s Best Breakfast Restaurant in South East Queensland and consistently features among Brisbane’s most celebrated cafés, and Oh Boy, Bok Choy!, the Southeast Asian kitchen that opened next door on Stafford Road in June 2021.

Sancho will occupy the space previously held by King of the Wings, right alongside Oh Boy, Bok Choy!. It seats approximately 90 people, designed for both drop-in dinners and larger celebrations.

A Cuisine Brisbane Hasn’t Seen Before

New Mexican cuisine traces its roots back to what food historians call the three sisters: the companion planting of corn, beans and squash that formed the backbone of Indigenous American agriculture for thousands of years. Spanish colonisation brought wheat, rice, beef and new cooking techniques that blended with those Indigenous foundations.

An illustration of Maize, climbing beans, and winter squash planted together. *Photo Credit: Wikipedia*

Cross-pollination with Mexico added further layers over generations. The result has less in common with the Tex-Mex most Australians know than it does with something altogether older and more regional.

The defining ingredient is chile, and New Mexico’s official state question, “Red or green?”, tells you everything about how central it is. Red chiles are fully ripened, dried and pureed into a mellow, earthy sauce. Green chiles are harvested earlier, roasted and chopped into a brighter, spicier sauce. Every meal comes down to that choice, or “Christmas” if you want both.

Scott is working with consultant chef Julius Villamor, formerly of Baja, to shape a taco-driven menu where salsas take centre stage. The Fiesta banquet will open with sopapillas, the hollow, pillow-shaped fried bread that has been a table staple in New Mexican homes and restaurants for generations, traditionally served with honey.

It will close with bizcochitos, the anise and cinnamon shortbread cookies that have held the title of New Mexico’s official state cookie since 1989.

“As far as the menu, tacos will be the main thing,” Scott said. “But our Fiesta banquet will start with sopapillas and will end with an excellent bizcochito.”

Pink, Orange and No Sombreros

The look of the place is as considered as the food. Scott has ruled out the visual clichés entirely.

“There’ll be no sombreros, no chilies hanging from the ceiling,” she said. “The colour scheme I’m going with, the pinks and oranges, reflects the colours of the Sandia Mountains in New Mexico. The sunsets there are spectacular.”

A feature mural in hot pink and tangerine orange will anchor the interior, drawing on the mountain range that frames Albuquerque to the east, one of New Mexico’s most recognisable landscapes. The fit-out is understated beyond that, letting the food and the story do the work.

The drinks list follows the same logic: a focused selection of tequila and mezcal alongside signature cocktails named after New Mexico towns, with a map of the state printed on the back of the menu so drinkers can locate the places that inspired each drink.

Planning Your Visit

Sancho Taqueria & Tequileria is on track to open in early June 2026 at 264 Stafford Road, Stafford, next door to Oh Boy, Bok Choy! Free parking is available at the rear of Stafford Central. Keep an eye on future updates.

Published 26-April-2026

Family And Friends Bid Farewell To Stafford MP Jimmy Sullivan

Family, friends, and community members gathered at a Kedron church to farewell Stafford MP Jimmy Sullivan, who was found dead at his unit on 9 April at the age of 44.

Read: Police Called to Kedron Residence of Stafford MP

The Little Flower Catholic Church in Kedron hosted the funeral service yesterday, 22 April. Students from the adjacent Padua College, where Mr Sullivan had attended school and served as school captain in his final year, lined the entrance to the church and helped guide mourners inside.

Family and friends

Photo credit: Facebook/Jimmy Sullivan MP

Mr Sullivan’s brother Daniel described him as essentially three different people: an energetic and ambitious young man, a respected community leader, and a person who struggled with significant personal difficulties in his later years. Daniel said it would be wrong to gloss over that final version of his brother, acknowledging he had battled his demons and that those struggles were the reason the family was together that day, forty years too early. He said the family had been heartened by messages from the community thanking Mr Sullivan for his service.

His best friend Jacob remembered Mr Sullivan as great fun and a seasoned karaoke performer. Others who spoke at the service described him as diligent, trustworthy, empathetic and a confident advocate. Jacob added that while teenagers could often be an unkind bunch, Mr Sullivan had been the antidote.

Mr Sullivan’s mother Trish acknowledged that her son’s journey had not been an easy one and had become complicated in ways that were painful to those closest to him. She said she would remember him from his earlier years, full of potential, while also holding compassion for the struggles he faced later. She described him as someone who was, and remained, a person who mattered.

Mr Sullivan is survived by a daughter who will turn two this year.

Career and community service

Photo credit: Facebook/Jimmy Sullivan MP

Mr Sullivan was a local through and through, having grown up and attended school in the Stafford electorate. His father, Terry Sullivan, had represented the same seat in state parliament from 2001 to 2006.

Before entering parliament, Mr Sullivan worked as a lawyer and judge’s associate in Queensland’s District Court. He went on to work in policy and government roles across Brisbane, Canberra and Washington DC, including a stint in the office of Democratic senator Ron Wyden. He later served as chief of staff to former attorney-general Yvette D’Ath.

He was first elected to the Queensland Legislative Assembly in October 2020 as the Labor member for Stafford, and was appointed Assistant Minister for Justice and Veterans’ Affairs in December 2023 under then-premier Steven Miles.

He was re-elected in 2024, holding his seat despite a 5.5 per cent swing against him. He was placed on leave to attend to medical and legal issues before being disendorsed by Labor in May 2025. No charges were ever laid in relation to an alleged domestic incident that occurred after the election. He moved to the crossbench as an independent and continued to represent Stafford until his death.

In his first address to parliament as an independent, Mr Sullivan spoke openly about his mental health, telling MPs he had been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder connected to the death of his first daughter. He said he had spiralled, recognised it, and sought healthcare.

By-election set for 16 May

Mr Sullivan’s death has triggered a by-election for the seat of Stafford, to be held on 16 May. Premier David Crisafulli confirmed that Governor Jeanette Young had issued the writs, formally launching the campaign. Mr Crisafulli said it was vital the community have representation ahead of the June state budget.

Read: Stafford MP Ousted Following Internal Review

The electorate, which takes in Brisbane’s northern suburbs including Stafford, Chermside, and Kedron, has been won by Labor in nine of the past ten elections. Neither major party had confirmed a candidate at the time of publication.

If this story has raised concerns for you or someone you know, contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

Published 23-April-2026