Queensland Election 2017: Six MPs leaving Queensland Parliament

Trenton Akers, The Courier-Mail

October 30, 2017 12:00am

WITH the dissolution of the 55th Queensland Parliament, there are six members that are set to bid farewell to politics in the state.


With differing reasons from retirement to ill health and even losing preselection – despite being a sitting member – Queensland will lose some of its most distinguished political figures.

Lawrence Springborg. Picture: Jono Searle.

Jeff Seeney. Picture: Darren England.

Lawrence Springborg, Jeff Seeney, Ian Rickuss and Speaker Peter Wellington have all announced they will retire after lengthy careers in politics while former Agriculture Minister Bill Byrne has quit citing ill health.


LNP MP Verity Barton was forced to make way in her seat of Broadwater for returning candidate David Crisafulli.

Mick de Brenni. Picture: Supplied

Outgoing Speaker Peter Wellington. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Mr Wellington was able to leave the Parliament on the back of a fiery speech he made in relation to a security of payment bill for subcontractors just last week.


The long-time independent MP hit out at Master Builders for their attack on Housing Minister Mick de Brenni and praised the Palaszczuk Government for their persistence in passing the bill.

Retiring Lockyer MP Ian Rickuss. Picture: Jono Searle.

“Thankfully, we have a minister and a government that have shown, when evidence is produced of the failure of our current laws, they will take action and they will not cower and look the other way or allow themselves to be bought off by unscrupulous construction companies that want to continue to operate unfettered in Queensland and continue to use, for their own


purposes, money owing to subcontractors and small businesses,” he said.

Rogue Dawson MP George Christensen drops LNP branding in online posts

Matthew Killoran, The Courier-Mail
October 21, 2017 12:00am
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/rogue-dawson-mp-george-christensen-drops-lnp-branding-in-online-posts/news-story/5078ec63818ee0a3d48f4d29a7dc49a1

REFERENCE to the LNP has been removed from Dawson MP George Christensen’s communications, with new slogans and logos fuelling speculation about his future with the party.

The rogue MP, who has clashed repeatedly with his own government this term, has started a new conservative online journal called “Australia First”.

It is reminiscent of Senator Cory Bernardi who first launched his political party Australian Conservatives as a right-wing group in July 2016, before defecting from the Liberal Party in February.

But Mr Christensen said he was not preparing to split and was simply doing a website and social media overhaul.

Backbencher George Christensen has started a new conservative online journal called Australia First. Picture: AAP/Lukas Coch

“The changes are simply to get conformity in my own branding across all online platforms,” he said. “(The) website is still in beta mode so changes including logos are coming.”

If he were to leave, it would be a blow to the Turnbull Government which holds power with a majority of one seat.

Documents show Mr Christensen registered Australiafirst.com.au on Saturday, and his social media presence updated with new logos on Sunday.

His personal website, no longer bearing LNP logos or references to the party, talks about “defending the national interest” as well as “standing up for workers, small business owners and farming families”.

Last December Mr Christensen warned that unless the government changed its path there was only so long he could “remain inside the tent” without a new way of doing things.

“What the Turnbull Government needs to do is start being more loyal to the voters and the party members who sent us here, or there will come a time when remaining inside the tent is no longer tenable to my conscience or my voters,” he posted in December.

His personal website now describes him as “an Australian Member of Parliament who serves the Dawson electorate in North Queensland”.

The Australia First website says the online journal will mobilise support for “Australian values and our democratic, free way of life, our nation’s history and heritage against black armband revisionism”, as well as secure borders and the defence force, farmers, industry, small business and workers.

After several threats to cross the floor, Mr Christensen gave up his position as Nationals chief whip so he could speak more freely.