Liz Cunningham
| Liz Cunningham | |
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| Member of the Queensland Legislative Assembly for Gladstone |
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In office 15 July 1995 – 31 January 2015 |
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| Preceded by | Neil Bennett |
| Succeeded by | Glenn Butcher |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 22 January 1954 |
Elizabeth Anne "Liz" Cunningham (born 22 January 1954) is an Australian politician. She was an independent member of the Legislative Assembly of Queensland from 1995 to 2015, representing the electorate of Gladstone. A conservative MLA in a traditionally Labor district, Cunningham is perhaps most well known for having brought Rob Borbidge's Coalition minority government to power in 1996, following the loss of the Mundingburra by-election by the then Goss Labor government.
Cunningham was involved in local politics prior to entering state politics, serving on the Calliope Shire Council from 1988 to 1995 and serving as its mayor from 1991 to 1995. A social conservative and devout Christian, running in a traditionally Labor seat in the 1992 election, she ran a strong campaign on "back to basics" issues, in particular concern about the downgrading of Gladstone Hospital. She narrowly lost to Labor candidate Neil Bennett in 1992, reducing the notional Labor majority from 12 points to only 2 points.
Three years later, she defeated Bennett on her second attempt due to National preferences. She became the first non-Labor MLA for Gladstone in 63 years, and only the third in 80 years.
Cunningham's victory was especially significant in the light of the extremely close result of the 1995 state election. It initially appeared as if the result would be a hung parliament with Cunningham holding the balance of power, although later counting delivered a one-seat majority to the Goss Labor government. The situation nevertheless gave her significant influence, as she forced the retention of incumbent Speaker Jim Fouras for the new parliament over the party's desired replacement. Her inaugural speech on September 1995 reaffirmed her combined focus on community issues and social policy, criticising the Goss government's transport and health policies, and advocating the reintroduction of corporal punishment, a return to institutionalisation of the mentally ill, and a return to Christian values.
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