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.

One Nation will not run a candidate against Cleveland MP Mark Robinson

Sarah Vogler, The Courier-Mail
September 12, 2017 12:00am
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-government/one-nation-will-not-run-a-candidate-against-cleveland-mp-mark-robinson/news-story/4dcff2d58aa0cc80f4cc76598a23cecf

THE LNP’s Cleveland MP Mark Robinson will be spared an election fight against One Nation with the resurgent party announcing it will not run a candidate against him.

The Courier-Mail can reveal Mr Robinson, who was forced to rule out a switch to One Nation after he attended a dinner with Pauline Hanson late last year – is expected to be one of a handful of LNP MPs not to be challenged by the minor party.

Cleveland MP Mark Robinson. Picture: Supplied

One Nation has already announced it will not challenge Katter Party MPs Robbie Katter and Shane Knuth and would leave Jo-Ann Miller alone in the seat of Bundamba as well.

One Nation State Leader Steve Dickson told The Courier-Mail he had decided not to run a candidate against Mr Robinson either.

Mr Robinson holds the electorate – which will be renamed Oodgeroo at the next election following the redistribution – with a margin of just under 6 per cent.

“We’re not going to be running against Mark and it is very, very similar to Jo-Ann Miller,” Mr Dickson said. “Mark is a very honourable MP. He has always carried himself with distinction within Parliament.

“When the chips were down when I left the party, he was the only guy who really came out and said ‘I am going treat Steve as a person’. That demonstrates the human quality of people.

“If we end up with a Queensland Parliament full of Jo-Ann Millers and Mark Robinsons then I don’t think it is going to be bad for Queensland.”

Just which other LNP MPs will be spared a One Nation challenge is yet to be determined.

One Nation is still in the process of preselecting candidates and is yet to name challengers for LNP-held seats such as the electorate of Currumbin held by Opposition backbencher Jann Stuckey, Gaven held by Sid Cramp, Moggill held by Christian Rowan, Everton held by Tim Mander and Chatsworth held by Steve Minnikin.

Allegations against Petros Khalesirad revealed as Rob Pyne refuses to apologise over pregnant MP ‘stalker’ incident

Anthony Templeton, Melanie Petrinec, The Courier-Mail
September 8, 2017 12:00am
http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/crime-and-justice/allegations-against-petros-khalesirad-revealed-as-rob-pyne-refuses-to-apologise-over-pregnant-mp-stalker-incident/news-story/ad9c9c0862ad1c77f9344b209b5e9e72

AN UNREPENTANT Rob Pyne has refused to apologise for allowing a man into State Parliament who is charged with stalking a pregnant MP, saying he believes the man is innocent.

The Courier-Mail can today reveal the extent of the allegations against Petros Khalesirad, who was sworn into Parliament on Tuesday by Mr Pyne in a “grave” security breach.

Bail documents filed in the Supreme Court, obtained by The Courier-Mail, reveal Khalesirad allegedly asked the neighbours of Keppel MP Brittany Lauga – who he is accused of stalking – about her morning routine and how many bedrooms she had in her house.

The bail documents also reveal a spate of angry Facebook messages sent by the self-styled political journalist to Ms Lauga.

Police also allege Khalesirad posted Ms Lauga’s private number and a picture of her home on Facebook.

Mr Pyne, who is now facing an ethics committee investigation into his behaviour in swearing Khalesirad into Parliament, yesterday said he would not apologise unless Khalesirad was found guilty, and questioned whether Ms Lauga was using stalking allegations to gag someone trying to investigate her.

Keppel MP Brittany Lauga. Picture: Annette Dew

“It seems to me that stalking is just a code word here for someone who is trying to investigate wrongdoing,” the Cairns MP said.

“I’d put money on him not being found guilty of stalking – I’d put a lot of money on it.

“If this gentleman is found guilty of stalking or harassing I will apologise unreservedly (but) I certainly don’t think that will be the case.”

Mr Pyne’s actions drew condemnation from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk yesterday, who said it could be a “very serious contempt of Parliament”.

“Those actions appear to have been very, very deliberate,” she said.

“The member concerned (Ms Lauga) is very distressed by this and I have personally spoken with her and reassured her if there’s anything I can do to assist her.


“I think everybody is shocked, not just members of this House, not just the staff that work here, but I think the widespread the community is also shocked especially when it is such a serious issue.”

Petros Khalesirad. Picture: Chris Ison / The Morning Bulletin

Mr Pyne is facing a fine or potential suspension from State Parliament for his behaviour, which could also prompt a wider security review of the parliamentary precinct.

Speaker Peter Wellington said there was a “prima facie” case that security procedures had been breached by Mr Pyne.

“I take breaches of our security procedures very seriously because of the potential risks posed to members, staff and the public,” he said.

“This matter involves wider issues of policy, including what sanctions are appropriate to be instituted against members for failing to follow security procedures whilst also taking into account the rights of members.”

According to the court documents obtained by The Courier-Mail, Ms Lauga’s neighbours, Jonathan and Shae Joyce, told police Khalesirad approached them as an IT expert to grow their business and made a number of inquiries about Ms Lauga.

“He asked about her daily routine, like when we saw her and if we knew when she was home,” Mrs Joyce said.


“He further asked if we had been inside her house and what it looked like from inside, and how many bedrooms it had.”

Cairns MP Rob Pyne. Picture: Annette Dew

Mrs Joyce said she also thought Khalesirad was “trying to work out what times Brittany was out walking her dog and if she was alone”.

“With all these questions he covered himself by saying things like, I wonder how many bedrooms her house has – it looks so large from the outside. And she keeps so fit walking her dog, I don’t know how she finds the time with her busy schedule,” Mrs Joyce said.

In an affidavit he tendered to the court, Khalesirad said he had no intention of being violent towards Ms Lauga or her family but it was “impossible” to keep 100m away from her as he had customers near her electorate office.

DV Connect chief executive Diane Mangan would not comment directly on the matter but said stalking was extremely serious.

“It is well known that stalking is very dangerous and can escalate into serious harm,” she said.

Khalesirad’s trial has begun in the Rockhampton Magistrates Court and is scheduled to resume in December.


The Courier-Mail unsuccessfully tried to contact Mr Khalesirad yesterday.

Questions asked over $30k developer donation to LNP after controversial apartments approved

The development in Lambert Street at Kangaroo Point. Picture: Darren Cartwright

Tom Snowdon, The Courier-Mail

http://www.couriermail.com.au/business/questions-asked-over-30k-developer-donation-to-lnp-after-controversial-apartments-approved/news-story/ad43dbb3e5e4ef54bf77366434283d19

A DEVELOPER that had a contentious apartment block approved in Brisbane donated $30,000 to the Liberal-National Party during last year’s local election campaign.

Brisbane City Council’s development assessment officer’s approved Pointcorp’s 69-unit Kangaroo Point apartment complex in September, 2015, after earlier raising concerns about the size of the development on the 979sq m site.

Council pointed out issues that included inadequate setbacks from the street, small balconies and a lack of car parks for the 12-storey development. However, a council spokeswoman later told The Courier-Mail the developer had provided expert information to justify the reduced setbacks.

An artist's impression of the Pointcorp "Magnus" development at Kangaroo Point.

The “boutique style” development’s approval was followed by a $30,000 donation to the LNP on February 26, 2016, in the lead up to the March local government elections, according to the Electoral Commission of Queensland website. There were no other donations made to any political parties, according to the website.

The LNP went on to retain Brisbane’s local government, taking 19 of the city’s 26 wards, with LNP Lord Mayor Graham Quirk returning to power.

A council spokesman said: “Donations to political parties have no impact whatsoever on decisions made by council officers and any suggestion to the contrary are strongly rejected.”

Opposition Labor Leader Peter Cumming said he had forwarded the development approval to the State Ombudsman for review after a “detailed analysis by a building designer”.

“We are concerned that within six weeks of substantial breaches of the CityPlan 2014 being pointed out by council’s own development assessment officers, the project was waved through,” Cr Cumming said.

The LNP went on to retain Brisbane’s local government, taking 19 of the city’s 26 wards, with LNP Lord Mayor Graham Quirk returning to power. Picture: David Clark/AAP

“That was enough to convince us to ask the Ombudsman for a review.

“When you factor in the $30,000 donation by developers Pointcorp to the LNP during the council election campaign, we believe there are some serious questions that need to be answered.”

The development, assessed under the State Government’s performance-based Sustainable Planning Act, is one of seven Pointcorp developments around Brisbane.

Billed as “boutique style development”, an advertisement for the Magnus building reads: “With a confidence far deeper than its bricks and mortar, Magnus dominates not just the Kangaroo Point skyline but also the hearts and minds of those fortunate enough to behold it.”

Pointcorp has been contacted for comment.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said he was only made aware of the donation, which was legally made, after The Courier-Mail brought it to his attention this morning. (Tuesday)

“It was drawn to my attention following the media enquiry that Pointcorp were a donor but I don’t know the amount,” Cr Quirk said.

Katy Gallagher: Experts want Labor senator’s citizenship claim tested

Sharri Markson, The Daily Telegraph

August 29, 2017 7:44pm
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/katy-gallagher-experts-want-labor-senators-citizenship-claim-tested/news-story/5e50a2205d09ac09eb26e9f241a61caa

CONSTITUTIONAL experts have called for Labor’s Katy Gallagher to be referred to the High Court for a ruling on whether she is an Ecuadorean citizen who is disqualified from parliament.

The Daily Telegraph revealed yesterday Ms Gallagher, one of the Opposition’s key attack dogs against the government on citizenship, is eligible for Ecuadorean citizenship under the South American country’s constitution because her mother was born there.

Professor of public law at the University of Sydney and accredited expert on Australian immigration law, Professor Mary Crock, said Ms Gallagher should be referred to the High Court, saying the Ecuadorean constitution was “pretty clear.”

Labor’s Katy Gallagher is the latest in the citizenship sting.

“It seems pretty clear. Even if you accept that that change occurred in 2008, she was elected in 2015 so I think this is a very unusual situation. She may be in trouble,” Prof Crock said. “The others are being referred and, of course, this has to be referred to the High Court.”

Constitutional expert and Dean of the Law Faculty at the University of New South Wales, Professor George Williams, said Ms Gallagher’s case had raised reasonable questions, similar to One Nation Malcolm Roberts’ and Nick Xenophon’s citizenship.

“There’s enough there that there are questions that need to be answered,” he said.


“I’ve looked at the material myself and I think what I said on a similar circumstance involving Malcolm Roberts was there was sufficient information there. It does require further investigation.


“Labor may provide more documents or provide clarity and also confidence in this area. If that doesn’t happen, then yes you would expect as with the other cases, there is enough there to be examined by the High Court.”

Prior to The Daily Telegraph’s revelations yesterday, Ms Gallagher had not sought legal advice about whether she could be an Ecuadorean citizen.

Yet Opposition Leader Bill Shorten refused to refer Ms Gallagher to the High Court for clarity on her case despite his party being unable to produce any evidence to support their claim that the Ecuadorean constitution is not retrospective­.

Katy Gallagher’s mother’s arrival card into Australia which shows the senator was born in Ecuador in South America.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott said “of course” Mr Shorten should refer Ms Gallagher to the High Court.

“If he were fair dinkum that’s what he’d do,” he said. “Shorten’s double standards here are outrageous and show you can’t trust Labor.”

Tony Abbott said “of course” Mr Shorten should refer Ms Gallagher to the High Court.. Picture: Jason Edwards

Ms Gallagher said the circumstances of her mother’s birth and citizenship were investigated “as part of the ALP vetting process”.

“As a result of these investigations it was determined that I had not obtained Ecuadorean citizenship by descent from my mother,” she said.

Prof Crock said even if Ms Gallagher did not actively apply to become an Ecuadorean citizen, the fact she was entitled to hold it would breach Australia’s constitution. “I think she’s caught very innocently by the change in law and probably not aware of it,” she said.

Glitter Strip Bare: Gold Coast news and gossip

Member for Gaven Sid Cramp contemplates his future, which may not involve politics if a preselection vote tomorrow fails to go his way.

Greg Stolz & Jeremy Pierce, The Courier-Mail
August 29, 2017 12:00am
http://www.couriermail.com.au/entertainment/confidential/glitter-strip-bare-gold-coast-news-and-gossip/news-story/e8b5e8dfa2dd82038b95814a04630dd7

EXPLOSIVE video of a Gold Coast MP embroiled in a fiery neighbourhood spat will be shown to voters at a special preselection ballot tonight.

Member for Gaven Sid Cramp is seeking the endorsement of his electorate branch members to contest the looming election for the LNP, but he may struggle to get there, despite standing as an unopposed candidate.

Glitter Strip Bare understands branch members will be given the option to vote “no candidate” at tonight’s meeting, which would allow other contenders to throw their hats into the ring.

Making the assignment even tougher for Mr Cramp is the likelihood that branch members will be shown video footage of the neighbourhood dispute before tonight’s vote.

The LNP is in possession of two versions of the footage, one taken by Mr Cramp and another by the other party in the fiery confrontation.

It is understood there are differences between the two videos.


Gaven is viewed as a winnable seat by Labor, with the impressive Meaghan Scanlon emerging as a serious contender.

If the LNP branch members vote not to endorse Mr Cramp as the party’s preferred candidate, expect to see a couple of interesting alternatives step forward in the coming weeks.