Liberals preselect only man on hand for Andrew Laming seat

A five-way preselection race to replace dumped MP Andrew Laming at the next federal election has been decided.

Henry Pike. Picture: Mark Cranitch

The only man in a five-way preselection race to replace dumped MP Andrew Laming at the next federal election has won the endorsement of Queensland’s Liberal National Party.

Henry Pike, a Property Council adviser, who was backed by the party’s religious right, won the majority vote of about 200 preselectors on Sunday.

The result is seen by some as a snub to Scott Morrison who had a preference for a “strong female” to replace Dr Laming.

Dr Laming, a veteran backbencher, was ditched as a candidate last month following a string of harassment allegations.

He remains on the Coalition benches after the Prime Minister ordered him to have counselling and empathy training this year.

The Coalition has struggled with how to better represent women in parliament after months of backlash over the treatment of women in politics.

Mr Morrison this year said he would push state party divisions to adopt gender quotas.

LNP insiders said Mr Pike won by about 20 votes, beating out party legal adviser Maggie Forrest, local mayor Karen Williams and two other women.

Mr Pike had secured references from Defence Minister Peter Dutton and International Development Minister Zed Seselja.

Assistant Women’s Minister Amanda Stoker, who hosted a luncheon at Mr Pike’s house last weekend, called him one of her “closest friends”. A senior LNP source said his win was Senator Stoker’s “revenge” after she lost a senate preselection battle to Senator James McGrath in May.

“The Christian stacks got what they wanted. We have a woman problem and they chose the man,” the source said.