Outgoing MP Jann Stuckey blasts LNP over culture of bullying

A week after her bombshell resignation, outgoing MP Jann Stuckey has taken aim at the LNP, blasting the party over a ‘cone of silence’ that led to her vilification, and the ‘blow-in’ chosen in the preselection battle for the seat she’s leaving.

OUTGOING MP Jann Stuckey has issued a scathing rebuke to her own party, claiming the LNP operated in a “cone of silence”, and that she feels sorry for the newly endorsed candidate.

Breaking her silence since announcing her bombshell resignation last week, Ms Stuckey told 2GB’s Alan Jones this morning she was vilified for supporting the decriminalisation of abortion.

The Currumbin MP said she’s been offered virtually no support from her party.

“The vilification was a cone of silence type of vilification, I had to read about how angry they were in the papers because not one of them had the guts to actually speak to me about why I made that decision,” she said.

“It’s this cone of silence and this lack of communication.”

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When she announced her resignation, Ms Stuckey revealed her battle with depression and the “black cloud” that’s plagued her.

She also claimed there was bullying in politics.

The LNP stalwart was one of three MPs who supported the decriminalisation of abortion in 2018 and was criticised publicly and privately for exercising her conscience vote.

Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey claims she was vilified by the LNP for supporting the decriminalisation of abortion.

Late last year, after announcing her intention to retire at the 2020 state election, Ms Stuckey also took aim at powerbrokers within her party over their refusal to allow lawyer Chris Crawford to seek preselection to replace her in Currumbin.

It was yesterday revealed barrister Laura Gerber would be the LNP’s candidate for the upcoming by-election that Ms Stuckey’s resignation will spark.

Ms Stuckey said this morning Mr Crawford had been “sidelined”.

She also revealed she’d experience “all forms” of bullying.

“I thought I was too strong to get depression, I thought look you’ve got to take it, this is tough, this is combat sport politics but it was getting worse and it’s got to a level where it now needs to be addressed,” she said.

Laura Gerber will be the LNP’s candidate for the upcoming by-election sparked by Ms Stuckey’s resignation.

“And Labor cannot deny their culture of bullying because they’re masters at it, but the LNP operate in a cone of silence and do not communicate.

“I was hearing from colleagues, ‘They want a skirt Jann, they want a skirt, any skirt will do and I was in the newspapers saying gender should not come into the choice of the best candidate.

“Currumbin is a very connected community.

“They don’t like blow-ins.

“They support people who have worked within their community and proven themselves and that’s why Chris was such an outstanding candidate, that is why the branch supported him.”

She also slammed the “three hour” time frame the party gave for people to lodge their expressions of interest if they wanted to be a candidate.

“I had two people contact me in those three hours and I told them it was pointless because the party had obviously already chosen somebody,” she said.

“I’ve never met the woman (Laura Gerber).

“She joined the party mid to late December because it popped up on my diary.

“She moved into the electorate only five months ago.

“I feel sorry for the girl, I really do because I don’t think she knows what she’s in for.”

Jann Stuckey says she feels sorry for her replacement. Picture: Luke Marsden.

At a media conference with Ms Gerber today, LNP leader Deb Frecklington rejected Ms Stuckey’s claims the party had wanted ‘skirt’ to contest Currumbin.

“Gender does not come into it. What we have with Laura is a local, she’s a successful mum of two, she’s a lawyer. What we have is the best person for the job.”

Ms Frecklington brushed off claims that Ms Gerber had been parachuted into the seat by party powerbrokers after rejecting preferred local candidate, lawyer Chris Crawford.

She said Ms Gerber had put in her preselection application ‘weeks ago’, gone through a ‘rigorous’ process and was ‘decided upon unanimously by the state executive.”

“What we have here is an outstanding candidate for the state seat of Currumbin,” she said.

Ms Gerber said she moved into Currumbin in January last year and had started her law career in a Coolangatta law firm.

She said she was not offended by Ms Stuckey’s ‘skirt’ comment and hoped to engage with her.