Show chief joins race

A NEW candidate has thrown her hat in the ring for Steve Ciobo’s vacant seat of Moncrieff.

Gold Coast Show president Josephine Tobias (pictured below) will contest the blue ribbon seat at next month’s federal election.

The local businesswoman announced she would run as an independent against Labor candidate Tracey Bell and the Coalition candidate, who will be named at tomorrow’s preselection meeting.

Retiring MP Steven Ciobo holds the seat with a 14.6 per cent margin.

Ms Tobias, who has lived on the Gold Coast for 35 years, started the Gold Coast International Women’s Day Leadership Awards and in 1994 founded Women at Work International.

She contested Moncrieff as an independent at the 2001 federal election, but lost to Mr Ciobo. She received 1473 votes while Mr Ciobo picked up 23,562.