Disendorsed LNP candidate on fraud charges vows to sue Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner
A disendorsed candidate accused of lying about his criminal history has made bombshell homophobic discrimination claims against the LNP council.
Police & Courts
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A disendorsed LNP candidate accused of lying about his criminal history has vowed to sue the party and Brisbane’s re-elected Lord Mayor.
Brock Alexander, 25, faced Sandgate Magistrates Court on Thursday for the first hearing of attempted fraud and obtaining identification information charges.
He allegedly misled the party regarding his criminal history during the vetting process, before he became the LNP Deagon Ward candidate in the Brisbane City Council elections.
Outside the Sandgate court on Thursday, Mr Alexander – who is openly gay – went on the offensive.
“I don’t regret any of my actions in the lead up (to the council elections) because I was a scapegoat for the LNP and they lied about me. They pretended that I didn’t have a criminal history, but I did tell them that I did,” he said.
“They changed their mind (about endorsing me) because they are homophobic.
“They (the LNP) are saying I submitted somebody else’s criminal history instead of my own (during the candidate vetting process) which I find very hard to believe, I think that is an action they have taken after the situation to cover up, because they don’t like me.”
In response, an LNP spokesman said: “The fact Mr Alexander is facing court on fraud charges shows he has no credibility to make claims against anything or anyone.”
The LNP has multiple openly gay elected MPs, both male and female, in Queensland and other states.
Throughout the political saga, the LNP has maintained that it disendorsed Mr Alexander over past comments he had made online.
“The decision was made because of past comments that were not previously disclosed and do not align with our party’s values,” the LNP statement read at the time.
Screenshots of the alleged Facebook posts show comments written by an account using the name “Brock Alexander”. Mr Alexander denies writing these comments.
Two comments relate to Bruce and Denise Morcombe, and Daniel’s disappearance.
“Why did they send their 12yo son on his own to the shops? On the side of a busy highway. Worst parents,” one comment read.
“Daniel never came home because his parents allowed a 13yo child on the side of a highway,” another said.
Mr Alexander again distanced himself from those alleged Facebook comments on Thursday.
“It will be (a) defamation (case), because I’ll probably never get a job now because of the LNP. So it will be the LNP for defamation,” Mr Alexander said on Thursday.
“I don’t have a clue (who made the Facebook comments). I think they were fabricated.”
Following his disendorsement, Mr Alexander’s criminal history and ongoing criminal matters were revealed, which the LNP maintains it was not aware of.
The party later made a formal complaint to the Queensland Police Service, which led to the pressing of the attempted fraud and identification information charges.
During Thursday’s mention in Sandgate Magistrates Court, Mr Alexander’s outstanding unrelated stalking charges were briefly referred to by the magistrate.
Mr Alexander said these charges relate to a previous neighbourhood dispute.
Mr Alexander’s historical stalking charges, as well as the new attempted fraud and identification information charges were adjourned to April 29.
The court also heard Mr Alexander has a separate trial date listed on May 15.
Mr Alexander said this is related to charges alleging he refused to give police access to his electronic devices when officers requested during their investigation into stalking allegations.
Mr Alexander remains on bail on all charges.
He was recently refused Legal Aid representation, but he is in the process of appealing this.
During the March 16 Local Government Elections, Mr Alexander received almost 25 per cent of the vote in the Deagon Ward. His disendorsement came after the Electoral Commission’s candidate cut-off, meaning his name remained on the ballot paper.
It was nowhere near enough to worry incumbent Labor councillor Jared Cassidy, who comfortably retained the Ward with almost 60 per cent of the vote.
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