You’re banned: Gold Coast LNP MPs don’t want Bulletin at their election parties
VIDEO: Watch one of your city’s elected Federal members explain why he’s banned the city’s biggest media organisation, the Gold Coast Bulletin, entry to his post-election party.
Gold Coast
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UPDATE 8.24PM: MONCRIEFF MP Steven Ciobo has explicitly barred the Gold Coast Bulletin from attending his post election party at the Broadbeach Surf Club.
Mr Ciobo told Bulletin journalists they were not welcome as he entered the club about 8pm.
“We have invited all media except for the Bulletin,” Mr Ciobo said as he entered the party.
“Unfortunately the Bulletin doesn’t seem interested in factual reporting.”
Mr Ciobo has come under fire recently in the Bulletin for his poor handling of funding for the M1 and the Gold Coast not getting NBN in some areas as late as 2018.
When Mr Ciobo entered the party, loud cheering could be heard from the volunteers.
Earlier, a volunteer had told the Bulletin the paper was not invited to the party.
Volunteers and guests were seen arriving all night and many were seen drinking wine and eating dinner.
One volunteer parked a ute packed with election signage on the footpath for about 15 minutes.
UPDATE 7.09PM: The Gold Coast Bulletin has been asked to leave the post election party of Member for Moncrieff Steve Ciobo.
When the Gold Coast Bulletin arrived, a volunteer for the Coalition MP stopped this reporter and our photographer at the door and told us we were not invited.
The volunteer asked us to leave immediately.
She asked if the Bulletin had spoken to Mr Ciobo’s office earlier that day.
“They clearly said you were not invited,” she said.
No reason was given as to why the Bulletin was not invited.
The volunteer was also not sure if other media has been invited.
Mr Ciobo’s decision to break the usual protocol means the Bulletin is blocked from getting reaction to the results as they come in.
Mr Ciobo has not yet arrived at the party.
– Lea Emery
UPDATE 6.44PM: FADDEN MP Stuart Robert has barred the Bulletin from attending his post-election party.
The MP, was seen enjoying drinks with supporters and LNP members, including former state LNP MP David Crisafulli, at the Labrador Tigers AFL Sports Club.
Mr Robert’s staff ejected the Bulletin from the event just after 6.30pm, less than half an hour after polls closed.
“We are going to have to ask you to leave. The other News Corp photographer is allowed to stay,” Mr Robert’s staffer Sam O’Connor said.
Other media were allowed to attend and film the event.
– Andrew Potts
EARLIER
Report: Paul Weston
THE Gold Coast’s three federal MPs have given the Gold Coast Bulletin an election blackout tonight.
Reporters in the past 24 hours have been unsuccessful in obtaining details of where Fadden MP Stuart Robert, Moncrieff MP Steve Ciobo and McPherson MP Karen Andrews are staging their election parties tonight.
It is the usual practice for staffers of MPs to provide the media with notifications of their election night functions to enable media photographers to be booked.
The access allows the newspaper to report winners and losers and provide analysis for readers on the results.
GOLD COAST DECIDES: ROLLING COVERAGE OF FEDERAL ELECTION
Bulletin reporters were told today that they would not be welcome at the functions.
Mr Ciobo when approached after a media interview during voting earlier today made it clear that the Gold Coast Bulletin was not welcome at his function. The Trade Minister went a step further and indicated he did not want to talk to the newspaper.
Mr Ciobo had earlier given the newspaper a spray when asked by a television reporter about funding of the Pacific Motorway.
Mr Ciobo said it was common for the upgrading of highways to be a 50-50 funding split rather than the 80-20 federal funding reported in the Bulletin’s Fair Go campaign.
The stand-off between the federal and state governments is preventing a critical section of the highway from Mudgeeraba to Reedy Creek being upgraded before the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“It’s how we proceed with funding to a large number of upgrades on the Pacific Highway contrary to what you may read in the Bulletin,” he told the television reporter.
Ms Andrews, like Mr Ciobo, has been under scrutiny for highway funding while Mr Robert has faced attacks on several fronts relating to election donations.
Ms Andrews later today indicated she intended to host a private party for volunteers with no media invited.
“We decided to keep it in-house after a long eight week campaign,” she said.
But Mr Robert and Mr Ciobo have opened the doors to other media for interviews tonight.
Reporters from other publications confirmed they have made arrangements to attend their functions.
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