Eight Labor MPs silent on if they will contest next year’s state election as Palaszczuk’s deadline looms
G’day readers, and welcome to this week’s edition of Feeding the Chooks, your jam-packed behind-the-scenes peek into the fascinating world of Queensland politics.
AND THEN THERE WERE EIGHT
Just days before Annastacia Palaszczuk’s deadline falls on her 51 fellow caucus members to reveal if they’ll stick with her or ditch the sinking ship, eight MPs have refused to declare their hand to Chooks.
Last month, Palaszczuk issued an ultimatum to her caucus to tell her by the end of October whether they intend to run at next year’s state election. Officially, MPs have until November 10 to submit their paperwork to Labor HQ.
Tourism, Sport and Innovation Minister Stirling Hinchliffe and backbencher Jim Madden have already announced they’re quitting.
Chooks politely hassled every Labor MP on Friday, asking whether they’d submitted their renomination forms, and if not, whether they were running again.
Despite persistent chatter in Labor caucus this week, Resources Minister Scott Stewart – who faces a tough fight to retain his battleground seat of Townsville – confirmed he would recontest the next election.
Backbenchers Aaron Harper, Cynthia Lui, Jason Hunt, Nikki Boyd, Shane King, Michael Healy, Peter Russo and Rob Skelton did not respond.
And despite rumours to the contrary, Treaty minister Leeanne Enoch has told Chooks she’s already sent in her paperwork, as has Lytton MP Joan Pease (“forms lodged and received”), while Speaker Curtis Pitt says his “nomination forms (are) in progress and yes, I’m running again”.
Agriculture Minister Mark Furner insists he’s recontesting, and so does Mackay backbencher Julieanne Gilbert, who was updating her resume (a requirement of Labor’s expressions of interest process) when Chooks spoke to her.
Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath – who dodged Chooks’ questions for two days – finally confirmed late on Friday that she “intends to run again at the next election”.
Ministers Craig Crawford, Glenn Butcher and Mark Ryan have all gone through the arduous process of renominating and have lodged the forms. The rest of the Labor caucus told Chooks they intend to run but haven’t sent in the paperwork yet.
For the record, the process includes MPs paying for a fresh police check, making a Right to Information application for any documents the Queensland Police Service might have tucked away in their files about them, declaring they’re an Australian citizen, preparing a fresh resume, and handing over all bank details.
SEE IT TO BELIEVE IT
During an interview with Chooks this week, Annastacia Palaszczuk vowed to serve a full four-year term on Opposition benches if Labor loses the election.
Given the way the polls are heading, it’s a real possibility for the long-term Premier, who has sat in parliament since 2006.
We took her guarantee with a grain of salt given that former Labor Premier Anna Bligh gave the same commitment in the lead up to the 2012 election (at which Labor was wiped out by Campbell Newman’s Liberal National Party) and was out of parliament within a month, sparking a by-election.
After nine years in the top job, Chooks wonders whether Palaszczuk would really stick around in her seat of Inala, inherited from her dad Henry, to spend four more years as Shadow Minister for the Olympics.
So, there’s still hope for you yet, (staffer and Inala wannabe) Jon Persley.
RECRUITMENT DRIVE?
Was it a coincidence that the LNP got the old band back together this week?
LNP senator and party powerbroker James McGrath hosted his semi-regular catch up of former staffers on Thursday night.
The gathering of about 40 ex-staffers (most of whom worked in the Newman government 2012-15) at The Buffalo Bar in the CBD, came as new YouGov polling – commissioned by the Courier Mail – revealed the LNP had strengthened its lead on Labor.
David Crisafulli’s LNP tops Labor on a statewide two-party-preferred basis of 52-48 per cent.
One attendee said the staffer shindig was about “keeping everyone in the tent if things go well next year”.
KEEP OUT
Divisive former deputy premier Jackie Trad has steered clear of speaking in public since she was turfed out of her South Brisbane seat at the last election.
So Chooks was eager to hear her address a public event at the University of Queensland, hosted by UQ Labor Left, this week, particularly given it was titled: “How Do We Un***k The Future?”
Unfortunately before the now-media shy Trad even stepped foot in the building, Chooks was booted out.
Trad left her post-politics job with Labor-aligned law firm Slater and Gordon in July.
One can’t help but wonder if she needed the extra time to work the numbers and her Left faction for support for a possible tilt at preselection for a spot on the Labor Senate ticket ahead of the next federal election.
And JT, if you want to share your thoughts on the future and how to “Un***k” it beyond the eleven students who turned-up for your insights on Wednesday night, Chooks is all ears.
WAY OUT WEST
The ALP factional battle to replace outgoing ‘Call me Sir’ Labor MP Jim Madden in his safe seat of Ipswich West continues.
The Right faction’s Wendy Bourne (a long-time local who works for Annastacia Palaszczuk) is up against Neisha Traill (of the Left, and the Electrical Trades Union, whose husband Stuart Traill is a powerbroker in that organisation).
So who will take the seat?
While the Left is the dominant faction in Queensland Labor, locals say the Right has the numbers in the branches of Ipswich West.
Chooks delved deep into the Queensland ALP rules this week, to discover that in large-ish branches, such as Ipswich West, the members’ vote is converted to an equivalent of 70 votes.
The Electoral College – state president John Battams, Palaszczuk or her nominee, and 28 delegates from the affiliated unions – gets 30 votes.
Labor sources say that if those rules are followed, Bourne is a shoo-in. Of course, as is always the case in the Queensland ALP, there’s a chance there could be a factional deal to avoid messy preselection battles, in which case, all bets are off.
HOUND DOGS
Just when we thought we could write no more about politicians impersonating Elvis (please refer to multiple Chooks columns detailing deputy LNP leader Jarrod Bleijie and his bedazzled suits) federal Health Minister Mark Butler slipped on his blue suede shoes and entered from stage left.
Performing at the National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation members’ conference in Perth this week, Butler gave Bleijie a run for his money, performing Elvis’s Burning Love with hip-swivelling aplomb.
While Butler insists he has “nothing on the King,” Chooks was all shook up.
Elvis Presley or the health minister? @Mark_Butler_MP at the NACCHO Members’ Conference karaoke… pic.twitter.com/BmkKziIf4c
— Aboriginal Health in Aboriginal Hands â¤ï¸ðŸ’›ðŸ–¤ (@NACCHOAustralia) October 25, 2023
GREEN WITH CONTEMPT
Queensland’s two Greens MPs were both found in contempt this week by the parliament’s ethics committee.
South Brisbane MP Amy MacMahon was in trouble for introducing three Bills to parliament without an accompanying letter from the Governor, Jeannette Young, whose sign-off is needed before a non-government MP puts forward legislation that raises revenue or spends cash.
Her colleague, Maiwar MP and lawyer Michael Berkman, was ruled in contempt for “misconducting” himself in parliament.
During debate earlier this year, Berkman said the Labor government was “proudly locking up more children”.
Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath, who was speaking at the time, took personal offence but Berkman refused to withdraw his comments.
The ethics committee has requested MacMahon and Berkman make formal apologies in parliament.
And if they refuse?
The committee reckons MacMahon should be suspended from the parliamentary precinct for one day, but had no specific punishment in mind for Berkman.
SPOTTED
A keen-eyed Chooks spy (they’re everywhere) spotted Energy Minister Mick de Brenni engaging in an unconventional pre-press-conference preparation technique recently.
At the event, de Brenni was seen doing a quick round of push-ups against a wall, purportedly to look more “vascular”.
Chooks put this to de Brenni, who confirmed he does the Push Up Challenge for mental health every year.
“But I can confirm all 3144 push-ups were on the floor,” he said.
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