Why won’t Palaszczuk hit out at pub fight MP?

If the actions of MP Les Walker are anything to go by, being a pissed idiot doesn’t disqualify you from being part of the Palaszczuk government, writes Steven Wardill.

It seems being a pissed idiot doesn’t disqualify you from being part of the Palaszczuk government.

New MP Les Walker promised to fight for Townsville in his maiden speech a couple of months back. Instead he has ended up getting into a fight with a couple of young locals which has resulted in him being slapped with an $800 public nuisance fine and banned from the city’s nightclub precinct for 10 days.

It’s not without irony that a day after Mr Walker’s 56th birthday bash ended in the back of an ambulance, a post appeared on his Facebook page of him in talks with local police earlier in the week.

“I’M SERIOUS ABOUT ADDRESSING CRIME,” it screamed, before banging on about young offenders and commending the efforts of police keeping the community safe.

And in an epic piece of PR, the venue where the crime occurred, Townsville’s iconic Mad Cow Tavern, has bemoaned how its reputation was being “somewhat tarnished” because of all the attention it was receiving.

“Unfortunately, no matter what controls are in place, venues cannot predict the actions of a very small minority of patrons,” director Mark Napier complained.

This must all be proving one long headache for Mr Walker. Yet he’s escaped any kind of censure from Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, whose only suggestion so far is that everyone should behave.

Ministers might avoid the Mad Cow at next week’s Townsville community cabinet meet.

But after Mr Walker’s modest reprimand, there’s no guarantee they also won’t act like idiots.