Fed: Businesswoman sails into Senate to replace Santoro

AAP General News (Australia)
04-19-2007
Fed: Businesswoman sails into Senate to replace Santoro

By Roberta Mancuso

BRISBANE, April 19 AAP - Queensland's newest senator received glowing praise from both
sides of the political divide today as she sailed into the Senate on a unanimous vote
from state parliament.

Brisbane businesswoman Sue Boyce is headed for Canberra after being endorsed by the
Queensland parliament to replace disgraced former Liberal senator Santo Santoro.

But the senator sounded a warning to the Howard government that she won't be afraid
to speak out on issues close to her heart.

"I'm not prepared to promise that I would never, ever cross the floor," Senator Boyce said.

The seat was made vacant after Mr Santoro, the former minister for ageing, was forced
to resign after failing to reveal the extent of his share trading activities.

Senator Boyce, the chair of plumbing products company Everhard Industries and a disability
campaigner, will be sworn in and take her seat in the Senate on May 8.

Her endorsement makes her Queensland's first female Liberal senator since Kathy Sullivan
left the upper house in 1984.

Premier Peter Beattie, who moved the motion, pledged to work with the new senator,
who is also the chairwoman of the Queensland Women's Liberal Council.

"On behalf of all members I wish you well for a long and distinguished parliamentary
career and indicate a willingness of my government to work with you to ensure that the
interests of Queensland is advanced," Mr Beattie said.

But he was also critical of her predecessor, questioning why Mr Santoro waited more
than 20 days before he tendered his resignation.

"Today is the culmination of another sad chapter in the history of the Queensland Liberal
Party," Mr Beattie said.

"When Santo Santoro announced he was going to resign on the 20th of March - following
his disgraceful share debacle - he set in place nearly a month of infighting in the Liberals."

Liberal leader Bruce Flegg, who seconded Mr Beattie's motion, said Senator Boyce was
a successful businesswoman, a devoted disability campaigner and a woman committed to her
family.

"She is actually the sort of person that political parties of all persuasions should
be encouraging to run for public office," he said.

Deputy Premier Anna Bligh congratulated Senator Boyce on her nomination, saying Australian
politics needed more women.

Opposition Leader Jeff Seeney also welcomed Senator Boyce to politics, but warned she
would have to grapple with conflicting responsibilities to the state and her own party.

Other MPs talked about her devotion to her daughter Joanna, who has Down syndrome,
and being a "true servant" to the Liberals.

Senator Boyce, who sat in the public gallery of parliament with her family during the
debate, said she was "deeply honoured" to become Queensland's newest senator.

The 56-year-old has pledged to get legal advice about her share portfolio and other
investments after Mr Santoro was forced to resign last month following revelations he
failed to declare more than 70 share transactions.

AAP rm/pjo/srp/mn

KEYWORD: LIBERALS QLD NIGHTLEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

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