Liberal National elder, powerbroker suspended from Queensland party

Former Howard government minister Gary Hardgrave and conservative powerbroker David Goodwin have been suspended from Q;d Liberal National Party for up to six months pending an internal investigation into allegations of bullying and intimidation.

Gary Hardgrave at Kingston on Norfolk Island. Pic by James Croucher

Former Howard government minister Gary Hardgrave and conservative powerbroker David Goodwin have been suspended from Queensland’s Liberal ­National Party pending an internal investigation into allegations of bullying and intimidation.

In an extraordinary move, the LNP state executive on Thursday night suspended the pair’s party memberships for up to six months and referred them to its star chamber-like disputes committee.

While the matter is being ­investigated, Mr Hardgrave has been dumped as metro-west ­region chair on the 30-strong state executive, which includes federal leaders Peter Dutton and David Littleproud and state leader David Crisafulli. Their suspensions come days after infighting between the Queensland party’s warring conservative and moderate factions erupted over a late transfer of memberships into the Young LNP South Brisbane branch ahead of a vote to elect its chair and delegates to an upcoming convention.

Mr Goodwin and Mr Hardgrave wrote separate letters of complaint to the executive and party president Lawrence Springborg this week alleging the transfer of membership, within 48 hours of the vote, was a branch stack. Mr Goodwin alleged party headquarters was “now ­actively managing factional branch stacking” because it had approved the transfers.

State director Ben Riley has referred himself to the disputes committee over their complaints and has said it would be “inappropriate” for him to comment. He ­issued a legal notice to The Australian on Tuesday night against publishing contents of the Goodwin and Hardgrave letters.

Under party rules, people can switch membership to a different branch if it is in the neighbouring federal electorate division.

Sources said Mr Hardgrave had demanded to chair the Sunday meeting – citing his senior role as LNP regional chair overseeing the South Brisbane branch – but was refused. The Weekend Australian understands YLNP president Kate Samios and outgoing South Brisbane branch chair Helen Craze have made formal complaints about Mr Hardgrave’s and Mr Goodwin’s attempted ­intervention at the meeting.

The competing complaints come amid a long-running and ­increasingly nasty stoush between Queensland’s conservative right and moderates over control of the party. As one moderate source said: “It’s bizarre that Gary Hardgrave felt the need to inject himself into a routine Young Liberals branch meeting given, at 65, he is likely closer to death than the eligible age to being a member.”

Both Mr Hardgrave and Mr Goodwin will be given the opportunity to defend themselves before the disputes committee and The Weekend Australian is not suggesting either has done anything wrong.

The internal brawl comes just a week after LNP members vented their outrage over the endorsement of a Brisbane City Council candidate, Brock Alexander, who, it later emerged, is allegedly facing active criminal charges, and had been in jail twice.