Queensland Labor's Meaghan Scanlon vows to defend Gaven in 2028 election

Queensland Labor’s Meaghan Scanlon said she will contest the Gaven electorate again at the 2028 state election, even though the Queensland Redistribution Commission’s recent review mandates significant boundary changes. The move follows speculation that she might shift to a safer seat, but Opposition Leader Steven Miles publicly backed her decision and expressed confidence in her victory. Scanlon, the party’s sole Gold Coast MP, originally reclaimed Gaven in 2017 and won it in 2024 by less than one percent against LNP’s Bianca Stone, who now serves as chief of staff for police minister Dan Purdie.

She stressed her personal ties to the area and determination to fight tough races. Former Labor MP John Mickel warned that abandoning the seat would enlarge the LNP’s coastal advantage. The announcement underscores Labor’s strategy to retain a foothold on the Gold Coast.