Queensland parents Russell Field and Judy Lindsay have both grieved the loss of children but now stand on opposite sides of politics.

Mr Field is running as the Liberal National Party candidate for Capalaba, in Brisbane’s bayside, at Saturday’s state election.

The seat is held by Labor’s Don Brown, and Ms Lindsay has thrown her support behind the incumbent.

Mr Field’s son Matthew, his partner Kate Leadbetter and their unborn child, Miles, were killed on Australia Day in 2021 when mowed down by a stolen 4WD. A youth under the influence of cannabis and alcohol was at the wheel.

The 17-year-old pleaded guilty to two counts of manslaughter and was jailed for 10 years. He is due to be released in 2027.

Ms Lindsay’s 20-year-old daughter Hayley Russell was killed in a crash with a drunk driver a few kilometres from her home in 2009.

Although connected by the impact of unspeakable tragedy, the two parents are are clearly separated by the political divide.

Mr Field has said running for the LNP presented an opportunity to create much-needed change.

“It’s one of those things where … something really happens to you and you think, ‘I have to make a change’,” he said.

“It gives you a sort of a purpose that there’s a very, very big possibility we can have change and change for the better.”

Mr Field said he was not contacted by the premier after the crime that claimed his son’s life and this sparked his drive into politics.

“Nearly four years down the track, they’re still waiting and it doesn’t bother me but that’s probably the worst part about it for a lot of victims. We’ve had no support whatsoever from the government,” he said.

“People don’t realise there’ll be victims before this next election. Everybody can be a victim tomorrow but they don’t know it yet.”

His main focus is making sure no one else goes through what he and his family endured.

“I’ll fight for all victims, past, present and future,” he said.

Despite the trauma of losing loved ones, Mr Field still has his sense of humour, claiming his doorknocking has helped him to get in shape.

“My shirt’s looking a bit looser on me,” he joked.

Ms Lindsay is disappointed by a lack of support after she criticised former Redlands Mayor Karen Williams for drunk driving after a meeting on road safety.

She was outspoken at the time, saying there was no excuse and that the episode amounted to a kick in the guts.

“No one supported me,” Ms Lindsay said.

“I was the only person to come out and stand up against Karen, and Don (Brown) supported me there.

“So I’m supporting Don.”

Ms Lindsay said even fellow victims in the Field family did not throw support behind her during a meeting where she aired her criticism of the former mayor.

“I felt really let down when Russell never supported me and my community, when Karen could have killed people that night in the car,” she said.

She wouldn’t reveal her political leanings before the incident with the former mayor, simply saying that she would back whoever backed her.

“I’ve never been involved in politics before and I’ve taken out time to come and support (Mr Brown) and help him, as he’s done for me in the last few years,” she said.

She said neither the LNP nor Labor had committed enough to road safety projects which she has been campaigning for ever since she lost her daughter.

“Everybody seems to be caught up in this massive ego-running political thing that’s happening and I don’t think they’ll be right to the guts of what was actually needed,” she said.

“I think if everybody just stopped for a minute and stopped thinking about themselves … it’d be a lot better.”

Mr Brown has been criticised for calling the youth crime problem a “media beat up” in a social media post several years ago but Ms Lindsay defended the incumbent, saying it “wasn’t the whole context”.

Labor holds Capalaba on a 9.8 per cent margin but analysts warn anything below 10 per cent could be at risk of swinging blue.

Opposition Leader David Crisafulli is tipped to take the top job with polls indicating the LNP will end Labor’s nine-year reign.

This post was originally published on Michael West.