Currumbin by-election: Gold Coast’s long history of close elections

The Currumbin by-election is a month away as the Gold Coast’s most hotly contested political battle heats up. We look back at the Glitter Strip’s wildest by-elections of the past.

VOTERS on the southern Gold Coast will go to the polls a month from now to have their say on who the city’s next member of parliament should be.

The Currumbin by-election will be held on March 28 following the shock resignation of former member Jann Stuckey after 16 years in office.

It’s not the first hotly contested by-election the Coast has seen.

Nearly 33 years ago the Coast got a taste of an epic political battle.

The year was 1987 and the incumbent Southport MP, Doug Jennings, died unexpectedly in the State Parliament sauna.

The shock loss of one of the city’s best-loved politicians sparked a hotly contested by-election.

Mick Veivers, Bill Gunn, Peter Beattie and Robert Lee meet people at Southport Park Shopping Centre during the Southport by-election.

The June poll came just weeks after revelations by the ABC’s Four Corners program’s Moonlight State report and a series of stories in The Courier-Mail over institutional corruption in the Queensland police force which led to the Fitzgerald Inquiry.

With the incumbent National Party government led by Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen in trouble, Labor saw Southport as being in play for the first time in years and threw its resources into the campaign and candidate Robert Lee.

The Nationals put up legendary former rugby league player Mick Veivers while the Liberal Party named Gold Coast councillor Keith Thompson as its candidate.

Two days out from the poll, the Bulletin snapped a photo of Mr Lee meeting Mr Veivers at Southport Park Shopping Centre on June 18, 1987.

Together with the candidates was Deputy Premier Bill Gunn and Labor’s then-state secretary, future premier Peter Beattie who was still two years away from entering parliament.

Despite Labor’s hopes, the party came third in the by-election, with Mr Veivers comfortably elected to parliament where he served until 2001.

Then-ALP Member for Gaven, Robert Poole

Fast-forward 19 years to 2006 and another by-election which hit an incumbent government hard.

This time it was the Beattie Government, then in its third term, and the seat was Gaven, then held by Robert Poole.

Mr Poole, one of Labor’s “magnificent seven” MPs elected in 2001, had increasingly come under the spotlight for his long absences from both Parliament and the country.

His wife and children lived in Thailand and the MP was often flying overseas to spend time with them.

The situation came to a head in late February 2006 when the Bulletin revealed Mr Poole asked for an extra three months off to have a knee operation.

The ballot draw for the 2006 by-election. Candidates Phil Gray, Phil Connolly, Glen Ryman, Daren Riley, and Dr Alex Douglas. Picture: Adam Head

A frustrated Mr Beattie withdrew his support after the Gold Coast’s Labor MPs demanded a crisis meeting to resolve the situation.

‘‘I will give him to the first week of April to determine whether his health is good enough,’’ said Mr Beattie at the time

‘‘If it is not, then clearly, he will resign.’’

‘‘I hope there will not need to be a by-election but, at this point, we have probably got a 50-50 chance of there being one because of Robert’s health.’’

ALP candidate for Gaven Phil Gray at Parliament with Premier Peter Beattie. Picture: Annette Dew

Mr Poole resigned from Parliament the following day.

A by-election was held in March 2006 which saw Nationals candidate Dr Alex Douglas overcome Labor’s Phil Gray as voters registered their displeasure with the Poole saga.

But Dr Douglas’ stint in Parliament proved brief, with the Opposition hit by chaos, including the removal of Liberal leader Bob Quinn just months later.

Seeing an opportunity, Mr Beattie called an early election which he won, with Gaven voters this time backing Mr Gray.