Rogue MP quits, forcing Premier into by-election corner

Labor’s longest-serving MP has announced she will resign from Parliament, forcing the Palaszczuk Government to defend her seat at a by-election.

Jo-Ann Miller State Parliament .Pic Annette Dew

LABOR’S longest-serving MP Jo-Ann Miller has announced she will resign from Parliament, forcing the Palaszczuk Government to defend her seat at a by-election.

Mrs Miller announced this morning that she would be standing down from Parliament as she held back tears.

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It will mean Labor will be forced to defend her Bundamba seat in a by-election contest with One Nation.

The by-election will be held on the same day as the council election and the Currumbin byelection, on Saturday, March 28.

Mrs Miller first won the seat 20 years ago and holds it with a margin of more than 20 per cent.

The Courier-Mail revealed last month that Mrs Miller was considering a tilt at local government but she confirmed in a letter to Curtis Pitt that she would not be contesting the Ipswich mayoralty.

In the past week, she had taken a swipe at Deputy Premier Jackie Trad and suggested that Parliament was the “loneliest place in the world”.

Outgoing Labor MP Jo-Ann Miller with LNP MP Ray Stevens. Picture: Jack McKay

“I have been humbled and privileged to serve the people of Queensland as a public servant of this state and for the last 20 years as the Member for Bundamba,” she wrote in her letter.

“Together, we have fought some magnificent battles, sometimes against those you least expected, including the party to which I have devoted my life to.”

She confirmed she would not be running for Ipswich Mayor, saying it was time to “move on to whatever is in God’s plans for me”.

“My family has put up with enough and I will not put them through it again in another role,” she wrote in her letter.

“However, I would like to thank our community for their great outpouring of support had I wished to nominate, and their trust in me.”

Mrs Miller also revealed she had recently had an operation to remove a tumour.

“Incidences like these make you reflect on your life and this has played a part in my decision to leave my role.”

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said she would like to thank Mrs Miller for her long standing service.

She said the former Bundamba MP had given many years to public service

“As many members know, they spend a long time away from their family,” she said.

Ms Palaszczuk also thanked former Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey, who resigned after a long career last month.

Opposition MPs used Question Time to question Labor ministers around why they didn’t support Mrs Miller in her crusade against corruption within the Ipswich council.

Ms Palaszczuk said she wished Mrs Miller “all the very best” and did not intend to discuss the health issues Mrs Miller had raised in her resignation letter.

“Community service takes its toll on families and personally on individuals and I think everybody in this house should reflect seriously on the way each and every one of you conduct yourself,” she said.

MPs on both sides of the chamber hugged Mrs Miller as she walked out of the chamber for the very final time.