Louise Kingston (born 8 June 1965)
is an Australian politician serving as a member of the
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Western Australian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia, a state of Australia. It is regarded as a house of review for legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly, the lower house. The two Houses ...
to represent the
South West Region.
Early life and career
Kingston was born in Albany. She previously worked as the state secretary of Timber Communities Australia,
and as an executive officer for the Small Business Centre and the Warren Blackwood Alliance of Councils.
Before being elected, Kingston worked as the manager of the Manjimup
Community Resource Centre.
She also ran an engineering business and farm with her husband.
Previous elections
Kingston joined the Nationals in 2015,
and first stood for election at the
2017 state election in
second place on the Nationals ticket for the South West region of the Legislative Council. At the
2019 federal election, Kingston
ran for the Senate in third place on the Nationals ticket. She ran in the second place on the Nationals ticket for the South West region of the Legislative Council at the
2021 state election, but was not elected.
Politics
Although Kingston was unsuccessful at the 2021 election, fellow Nationals candidate
James Hayward did win the seat, but was convicted in August 2023 of child sex offences, disqualifying him from parliament.
After his disqualification, a recount was to be performed to determine the next most popular candidate.
The recount was performed by the
Western Australian Electoral Commission
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly is elected from 59 single-member electoral districts. These districts are often referred to as ''electorates'' or ''seats''.
The ''Electoral Distribution Act 1947'' requires regular review of electoral ...
on 19 September 2023, resulting in Kingston's election.
She was sworn in on 28 September 2023.
Kingston was immediately elevated to the shadow cabinet as the shadow minister for climate action and shadow minister for regional cities. Following the defection of
Merome Beard
Merome Beard is an Australian politician, representing the electoral district of North West Central in the Western Australian Legislative Assembly for the National Party since 17 September 2022.
Early life and career
Beard is a great-great-gran ...
from the Nationals to the
Liberals, Kingston also took up the tourism portfolio.
In June 2024, Kingston was preselected for fifth place on the National Party's Legislative Council ticket for the
2025 state election: considering a party would need to receive 13% of the vote for their fifth-placed candidate to be elected, far above the Nationals's recent electoral results, Kingston's position was considered unwinnable.
However, Kingston resigned from the party later the same month, citing "relentless bullying and harassment" from party leader
Shane Love
Ronald Shane Love (born 30 August 1961) is an Australian politician. He is the member for the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament ...
, and alleged that her unfavourable preselection was the result of a deliberate campaign to punish her.
Love and the party's administration denied Kingston's allegations, suggesting that her resignation was motivated only by her poor performance in preselection.
Personal life
Kingston moved to Manjimup in 2001.
She is married, with four children and three grandchildren.
References
External links
Profile on the WA Parliament website*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kingston, Louise
Living people
Members of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly
National Party of Australia members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Independent members of the Parliament of Western Australia
21st-century Australian politicians
1965 births