QUEENSLAND’s first lady Lisa Newman spoke candidly of plans for her high-flying husband after politics at an LNP fund-raising function hosted by Redlands MP Peter Dowling in Redland Bay on Friday.
When asked what her husband would do if he did not win the next election, Mrs Newman steered clear of announcing an election date or hypothesising on whether he would retain his seat of Ashgrove.
She said Mr Newman was an extremely capable person and after politics it was likely she would continue to work part-time as a nurse.
“I will stay committed to my charities and for Cam, I don’t know, but I do know it will have to have more of a purpose than just working in the corporate or business sector.”
Mrs Newman said her husband had an “exit date” for politics which had not included leaving local government and running for state politics in 2011.
“Campbell was in the dog box for about three months after deciding to run for state politics and even told journalists who asked ‘Lisa’s not happy’,” she said.
Dressed in yellow to support the children of murdered Brookfield woman Allison Baden-Clay, Mrs Newman also paid tribute to Mr Dowling’s wife Helen.
Mr Dowling denied the morning tea was because he had secretly won LNP pre-selection.
“Campbell, from day one, has backed me and Lisa is here because it is a fund raiser for the LNP and the money raised will go to supporting the LNP candidate for Redlands whoever that is,” he said.
Mr Dowling outlined a range of projects the LNP government had undertaken since elected in March 2012.
He said the Redlands Hospital had benefited from a 6 per cent increase in spending on public health and schools, including Sheldon College, were benefiting from budget increases for education.
He also said bus and train fares would rise by 2.5 per cent this financial year as opposed to the 7.5 per cent increases in the past two years.
Redland City councillor Lance Hewlett thanked Mrs Newman for her support and said the public was unaware of the behind-the-scenes difficulties politicians had changing bureaucracy.
He said it had taken two years for the new council to get the bureaucracy on board and instigate some changes.
"I have to take my hat off to Campbell Newman and the state because I can only imagine the difficulty they face trying to change the bureaucracy at a state level."