LNP to run dead in Deagon after dumping its own candidate after 11 days

The LNP will not contest Deagon ward in Brisbane’s northside at next month’s council election, after the party dumped its own candidate and referred him to police.

Not only has the deadline passed for the LNP to put forward another candidate, but Brock Alexander will still be on the ballot paper under the party banner despite being disendorsed.

On Tuesday afternoon, the LNP announced Alexander had been disendorsed “because of past comments that were not previously disclosed and do not align with our party’s values”.

An account in Alexander’s name also reportedly made comments on social media about Daniel Morcombe, including “Daniel never came home because his parents allowed a 13yo child on the side of a highway”, with a crying laughing emoji.

Nine News later reported Alexander had been facing criminal charges for two years, including unlawful stalking, and said he would plead not guilty.

On Wednesday night, state political editor Tim Arvier reported Alexander had previously been jailed, and had convictions for public nuisance and property offences, and for possessing a knife in a public place last year.

LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner with former LNP candidate for Deagon ward Brock Alexander, in an image previously included on the Team Schrinner page for their now dumped candidate. The page has since been taken down.Credit: Wayback Machine

Alexander claimed he “verbally advised” the LNP about the criminal charges.

“Make sure you make the party look just as bad as me,” he told Nine News.

But LNP Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Alexander did not disclose the issues to the party during the vetting process, which included an extensive application form.

While Alexander provided the results of his criminal history check to Nine News, the LNP claimed he misrepresented his record on their paperwork and police had been asked to investigate.

Internet archive of former LNP candidate for Deagon ward Brock Alexander’s page on the Team Schrinner website, from February 14, 2024.Credit: Wayback Machine

Schrinner said Alexander was the candidate for Deagon – which he described as a “safe Labor ward” – for 11 days, and had only recently joined the party.

Alexander, who has a facial tattoo, was the only candidate to nominate for the LNP for Deagon.

Asked if the LNP was having trouble attracting quality candidates, Schrinner said it was a “safe Labor ward” held by the leader of the Labor opposition.

He said he had no concerns about any of his other candidates.

“It was quite clear that if these things had have been known at the right time, before the process, that there’s no way that this candidate would have been a candidate,” Schrinner told 4BC.

“[He was] the last candidate to be selected as part of our team, and obviously the minute the concerns were raised and verified, then action was taken immediately.

“It’s a shocking situation, it should never have happened. It’s one of those things if someone is determined to withhold information or misrepresent themselves.”

Asked if the LNP did its own vetting, rather than relying on information provided by candidates, Schrinner said the party did have checks.

Alexander’s candidate page has been removed from the LNP’s website, but an archived version from February 16 said he was a bayside local and “committed to giving back to the community”.

“He is currently undertaking a pharmacy degree at the University of Queensland. He also operates a small business with his family,” the page stated.

His criminal history check listed his occupation as a painter.

While it is unlikely Alexander will win, given Deagon ward has been held by Labor since it was first contested in 1985, he can still receive votes despite being disendorsed.

Pauline Hanson was disendorsed by the Liberal party shortly before the 1996 federal election after making contentious comments about Indigenous Australians, but still won the seat of Oxley as an independent, and later co-founded the One Nation party.

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