LNP MPs back abortion vote rebels

QUEENSLAND’S LNP MPs are horrified by a push by the party to punish three of its members who voted in favour of decriminalising abortion.

QUEENSLAND’S LNP MPs are closing ranks as the abortion decriminalisation fallout continues to escalate inside the merged conservative party.

Multiple MPs told The Courier-Mail yesterday they were horrified by a push by the party to punish Tim Nicholls, Steve Minnikin and Jann Stuckey for exercising their conscience vote given it was a unanimous decision of the party room that they had that right.

Jann Stuckey is one of the three rebel MPs. Picture: AAP/John Gass

A motion to prevent the trio from recontesting their seats at the next election is set to be moved at the LNP’s State Council in Bundaberg next month and a large contingent of MPs is now expected to attend to support their colleagues and speak against any such push.

The party’s Young LNP branch threw its support behind the move to punish the MPs at a meeting in Warwick on Saturday, backing its own motion for the trio to be blocked from seeking preselection.

LNP President Gary Spence has also publicly and privately admonished the trio, backed by pro-life members also baying for blood.

“The LNP is supposed to be the party of the individual,” one MP said of the calls for retribution. “The president doesn’t know his place in the party and his continual involvement in the parliamentary wing doesn’t do the party any good.”

Shadow Transport Minister Steve Minnikin. Picture: AAP/Sarah Marshall

Federal LNP MP Warren Entsch yesterday described the push to punish MPs over a conscience vote as outrageous.

“I have heard the speculation and I just hope to goodness its not true. I think commonsense has to prevail,” Mr Entsch said.

“I suspect there were more than three that probably privately hold that view but there were three that had the courage of their convictions and I would have thought that we should be encouraging Members of Parliament that are prepared to stand by their consciences and their convictions.

“At the end of the day, I think it would be a very big mistake to punish these people for being true to themselves.”

Former LNP member Peter Lindsay, who quit the party this year, described the fallout as damaging.

“The leadership really needs to change because they are presiding over the destruction of the party and it is just terrible,” he said.