Crisafulli coy on LNP donation as Coalition spruiks early intervention program for troubled youths
David Crisafulli has dodged questions regarding a party member’s calls to give back funds from a Far North political donor currently defending multiple assault charges.
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David Crisafulli has dodged questions regarding a party member’s calls to give back funds from a Far North political donor currently defending multiple assault charges.
The party’s Far North chairman Michael Trout stood down from his role in August after he was charged with assaulting Leah Kawane, 23, and her husband, Jessie Howie, 32, at a Holloways Beach home earlier this year.
Mr Trout has indicated he will be vigorously defending the charges.
Mr Howie’s father, Darren, is an LNP member and has since urged the party to give back a $17,500 donation made by Mr Trout in July.
Asked why Mr Trout wasn’t suspended in May, when the elder Mr Howie first informed the party of the alleged incident, Mr Crisafulli declined to elaborate on the matter.
“Mr Trout has stepped aside from all duties with the party, to be clear,” he said.
“In answer to the second part, it’s before the courts. Once that process has run its course, I assure you that I will be commenting.
“That person is entitled to the presumption of innocence. Once that matter is heard in the court I’ll be making a very, very definitive statement on that.”
But incumbent Craig Crawford said the Coalition must respond to questions about Mr Trout and his donation before the election.
“The alleged incident occurred in May. In August, he was still helping to run her campaign and she was told in May what occurred in that house,” Mr Crawford said.
The Member for Barron River also challenged the Opposition Leader’s claim that the party donation was a legal matter.
“There are questions here for Bree James,” Mr Crawford said.
“There are questions here for David Crisafulli. These are not questions that are before the court.”
The LNP’s candidate for Barron River, Bree James did not attend two media events held by the Coalition in Cairns on Tuesday.
But on Monday she said Mr Trout’s donation was “a matter for the LNP”.
“David Crisafulli said on Saturday that should Michael Trout face those charges and be found guilty, I believe they’re looking at … giving the money back,” she said.
Prior to stepping down, Mr Trout had been seen regularly on the hustings alongside the hot favourite to win the bellwether seat on October 26.
The James campaign team has since deleted multiple social media posts which featured Mr Trout in them.
Mr Crisafulli declined to answer when asked if the LNP had frozen funds received from Mr Trout.
The Coalition’s campaign stopped in Cairns on Tuesday with the Opposition Leader announcing $50m to establish an early intervention program for troubled youths across the state, including the Far North.
Additionally, the LNP would invest $6m to complete the construction of a new state-of-the-art facility at Stan Williams Park in Manunda, worth $18m, if elected.
Brothers Leagues Club have contributed $12m to the project.
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Originally published as Crisafulli coy on LNP donation as Coalition spruiks early intervention program for troubled youths
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