Liz Cunningham

Interviewed by
Robin Sullivan and Rodney Sullivan
Aug 23 2012
Liz Cunningham

Queensland Independent MP Liz Cunningham reflects on her time on the cross benches in the Queensland parliament. As the Independent Member of Gladstone in 1995 she was instrumental in bringing the Borbidge minority government to power following the 1996 Mundingburra by-election. She reflects on her decision to become an Independent MP rather than join a political party.

Biography
Time Summary Keywords
00:00:00

Liz Cunningham describes her childhood in Central Queensland. She comments on early political discussions within her family and the impact of religion on her values and decision making.

 Central Queensland
00:03:30

Liz Cunningham discusses her education and decision to work rather than continue on to tertiary education due to the cost of further schooling.
00:04:43

Liz Cunningham describes her early career, first working at a supermarket, later at an insurance brokers, before briefly moving with her family to North Queensland. Later she moved to Sydney to attend Bible College where she met her future husband John.

 North Queensland
00:06:51

Liz Cunningham describes how she moved to Gladstone to be closer to a hospital during her pregnancy. Later she moved to Calliope where she became involved with local government due to a conflict between the Calliope Rate and Tax Payers Association and the Calliope Council. She describes the physical area of the Calliope Shire which included Calliope, Mount Larcom, the Boyne Valley and Boyne Tannum.

 Calliope Shire, Central Queensland, Gladstone, local government
00:10:29

Liz Cunningham discusses her early experiences as a local government councillor. She describes some of the challenges and tensions during this part of her career. She describes how she contested the position of Mayor.

 Independent, local government, mayoral elections
00:13:36

Liz Cunningham reflects on the support she received from the community to run for Mayor and explains why she has chosen to remain an Independent.

 Independent, local government, mayoral elections
00:15:11

Liz Cunningham describes how she was able to institute change within the Calliope Council towards the community. She recalls her success in preventing the EARC recommended amalgamation and the effect this had bringing the Calliope Council together.

 Calliope Shire, Central Queensland, EARC
00:17:26

Liz Cunningham discusses the tension between the Councils of Calliope and the City of Gladstone until the council amalgamation in 2008. She discusses why she chose to transition to State politics as an Independent politician.

 Bob Katter, Calliope Shire, Citizens Electoral Council, Col Brown, Gladstone, Independent, Local council amalgamations
00:21:26

Liz Cunningham describes aspects of her campaign strategy. She explains how she lost her first election challenge in 1992 but went on to win in 1995. She discusses the subsequent decision to prevent sitting council members from running for state seats.

 1992 election, 1995 election, campaign strategy
00:23:58

Liz Cunningham explains why she choose to support Rob Borbidge in the Mundingburra by-election. She describes her relationship with the Borbidge Government following the decision.

 Borbidge Government 1996-98, koala habitat, Mundingburra by-election 1996, Rob Borbidge, Wayne Goss
00:28:24

Liz Cunningham explains how the Police MOU did not have any impact on her decision to support the Borbidge Government. She tells an amusing story about a planned family holiday at the time of the Mundingburra by-election.

 Borbidge Government 1996-98, Memorandum of Understanding, Mundingburra by-election 1996, Russell Cooper
00:30:10

Liz Cunningham discusses the formation in 1998 of the Beattie Government with the support of Independent MP Peter Wellington. 

 1998 election, Beattie Government 1998-2007, One Nation, Peter Wellington, Rob Borbidge
00:33:06

Liz Cunningham comments on the leadership styles of Rob Borbidge, Wayne Goss and Peter Beattie. She describes the debates she had with Santo Santoro on Work Cover and industrial relations bills.

 Denver Beanland, Peter Beattie, Rob Borbidge, Santo Santoro, Wayne Goss
00:35:32

Liz Cunningham comments on Peter Beattie's criticisms that during his time as Premier, the Independent members were acting as group, not unlike a political party.

 Chris Foley, Dorothy Pratt, Independent, One Nation, Peter Beattie, Rosa Lee Long
00:37:37

Liz Cunningham describes some of the advantages of being an independent MP. She describes how she handles the differences between what some members of her community want and her own personal values.

 abortion, Central Queensland, euthanasia, Independent, prostitution, Rob Borbidge, Wayne Goss
00:42:54

Liz Cunningham discusses why she choose to vote against the use of embryonic stem cells.
00:44:51

Liz Cunningham discusses women in politics. She describes how she feels she had not had difficulties due to her gender but acknowledges that this may be different for women party politicians.

 sexual discrimination, women
00:46:51

Liz Cunningham reflects on her involvement in the reformation of laws regarding the assault of pregnant women.

 Denver Beanland, Fiona Simpson, sexual assault
00:49:30

Liz Cunningham discusses what she would like to achieve in the future for her electorate, including meeting some infrastructure challenges such as upgrading the hospital. She explains why she continues to enjoy her career and how the support of her family has made this possible.

 Independent, work life balance
00:53:11

Interview ends
Position:
Politician, Independent
Bailiwick:
Independent
Decade:
1990s, 2000s
Sound byte: 

Liz Cunningham

Biography

Liz Cunningham

Liz Cunningham was Mayor of Calliope Shire Council from 1991 before being elected as the Independent MP for Gladstone in 1995.

Born in Queensland, she studied theology in Sydney before returning to Queensland, choosing to move close to Gladstone so that she would be near to a hospital in which she could have her first child. In Gladstone she joined the Rate and Tax Payers Association and the interaction between this group and the Calliope Council prompted her run for council. Cunningham was a councillor for four years before being elected Mayor of Calliope Shire Council in 1991. Later she decided to run for State politics, and after first losing in 1992 she won the seat of Gladstone in 1995.

In 1996 Cunningham was instrumental in the formation of the Borbidge minority government following the Mundingburra by-election. Two years later she agreed to support the Beattie government although this time her support was not crucial as Independent Peter Wellington had already pledged his support to Peter Beattie.

Throughout her career as an Independent Member of Parliament, Cunningham has introduced a number of bills, participating in a variety of Parliamentary Committees and delivered many speeches. In 2002, for example, Cunningham delivered 184 speeches in Parliament which The Courier Mail noted was ‘way ahead of her closest non frontbench rival Labor Whip Pat Purcell, who spoke 140 times’.

Copyright © Centre for the Government of Queensland, the University of Queensland, 2014.

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Associated interviews: 
Peter Beattie
Associated interviews: 
Peter Wellington
Associated interviews: 
Rob Borbidge