Glamorous Sunrise reporter Annastacia Palaszczuk once called 'rude' quits TV to try her luck at politics
- Bianca Stone to run for LNP in Queensland election
- She already has a history of antagonism with Labor
- READ MORE: Former Channel Seven Sunrise reporter Bianca Stone's shock career change has been revealed
A glamorous former Sunrise reporter who former Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk once called 'rude' has sensationally quit TV to run as an LNP candidate.
Bianca Stone has won the Liberal National Party's preselection ballot for the seat of Gaven on the Gold Coast and will run in this year's Queensland state election.
Stone already has a history of antagonism with Labor, which has been in power in Queensland for all bar six years of the past 35 since 1989.
On July 1, 2021, during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, Stone tried to ask Ms Palaszczuk a question about a request to get more Pfizer vaccines for the state.
Stone accused the Queensland government of engaging in a 'public relations stunt', which saw a fired-up Ms Palaszczuk retort: 'I'm not going to answer people being rude, so anyone else have a question? You are being very rude.'
Glamorous former Sunrise reporter Bianca Stone (pictured), who former Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk once called 'rude', has sensationally quit TV to run as an LNP candidate
Ms Palaszczuk told Stone 'you are being very rude' after she asked a question about vaccines
After the announcement was made on Saturday, Queensland's Deputy Premier Cameron Dick said Labor isn't too bothered about Stone's preselection.
'We don't care who the LNP select because lazy LNP MPs on the Gold Coast with fat margins have never delivered anything for that community,' Mr Dick said.
Stone will be up against incumbent Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon at the October 26 election.
Mr Dick said Ms Scanlon had worked hard for her constituents and community since becoming the youngest woman elected in Queensland at the age of 24 in 2017.
'Our government has been the transformative government for the Gold Coast. All the major investments on the Gold Coast, heavy rail, light rail, hospitals, stadiums, all of that has been delivered by Labor governments,' he said.
'Someone like Meaghan Scanlon has been absolutely central to the delivery of those projects, cost of living relief, more homes.
'All of those have been delivered by someone like Meaghan Scanlon, and she's absolutely the best choice for Gaven and the Gold Coast.'
In announcing her plans, Stone said it was obvious people felt both physically and economically vulnerable under a Labor government.
She also flagged gang violence as one of her top concerns.
'Community safety should be the top priority of any government and we shouldn't feel anything other than completely secure in our homes,' she said.
In April, Stone resigned from her job on Sunrise after six years on morning TV. She had worked for Channel Seven for 18 years.
Bianca Stone (pictured) has won the Liberal National Party's preselection ballot for the seat of Gaven on the Gold Coast and will run in this year's Queensland state election
Stone will be up against incumbent Housing Minister Meaghan Scanlon (pictured) at the October 26 election
'This has been a difficult decision,' she posted to Instagram at the time.
'Sunrise is like a family (albeit a little dysfunctional at times) and I have experienced some incredible career highlights over the past six years.
'I've travelled across the country and around the world, covering terror attacks, royal visits, the death of the Queen, two Commonwealth Games, floods, fires, cyclones and too many tragedies.'
Stone said that while Sunrise had been her 'dream job' she had decided to step down to consider the next step in her career.
'It came as a shock (to Channel Seven). But I have been toying with the idea for some time,' she told the Courier Mail in February, 2023.
'Sunrise is a dream job … breakfast TV is addictive and compelling but it also comes with an alarm every single day and that becomes hard.
'In the beginning if I'm honest the thrill of Sunrise outweighed the alarm. But the older I get and my little girl is older, that's switched for me.'
The mother-of-three is married to Gold Coast police detective Mark Mooney.
