By Sonia Isaacs
FORMER Glasshouse Christian College dux Ariana Doolan is set to become Queensland’s youngest woman elected to state parliament. Although the Pumicestone seat remains undeclared at time of print (October 28), the 22-year old is expected to unseat Ali King.
Ms Doolan told GC&M News she was “overjoyed yet humbled” by the support from Pumicestone voters. “People wanted a change,” she said. Describing the count as “nail-biting,” she said results swung between the two candidates throughout election night.
“We stayed up until 2am, watching the polls on TV all night,” she said. “Numbers kept shifting, so we were on edge, but things turned in my favour early Sunday morning.” Ms Doolan said she grew more confident when the pre-poll results began coming in.
She noted that around 75 percent of voters in Pumicestone had cast ballots early, either by pre-poll or postal vote, with about 20,000 voting before election day. “It just shows that age doesn’t matter. If you’re focused, disciplined, and work hard, you can achieve your goals,” Ms Doolan said.
She added that the support shown by her community was moving, especially during a challenging campaign. “So many people gave me hugs and said they didn’t care how young I was—they believed in what I and the LNP could deliver,” she said.
Ms Doolan’s first priorities include setting up an office, assembling a team, and addressing local infrastructure needs like lighting for Beachmere Rugby Club, resurfacing Bribie Island netball courts, and trialling an on-demand bus service for Bribie Island.