LNP integrity spokeswoman Fiona Simpson caught in electorate office rule breach

The LNP’s integrity in government spokeswoman has been caught running election events from her electorate office, defying repeated warnings from the clerk of parliament.

LNP integrity in government spokeswoman Fiona Simpson. Picture: Matthew Poon

The LNP’s integrity in government spokeswoman has been caught running election events from her electorate office, defying repeated warnings from the clerk of parliament.

Former Newman government Speaker of parliament Fiona Simpson is recruiting volunteers to “show Labor the door in 2024!” and is publicly advertising an information session in her electorate office during the campaign.

The organisers include at least two electorate office staffers of Ms Simpson, the LNP’s integrity in government spokeswoman and a former member of parliament’s ethics committee.

Clerk of the Queensland parliament Neil Laurie has repeatedly warned MPs not to use their electorate offices or staff for campaigning or electioneering, and issued a fresh caution as recently as Monday.

“While the (Members’ Remuneration) Handbook does not specifically prevent a member from using an electorate office or electorate office resources for electioneering, it remains a fact that the overt use of resources in this way can attract negative political and public comment,” Mr Laurie wrote in his 2024 election guide to MPs.

He said electorate staffers were banned from engaging in electioneering or campaigning activities while on taxpayer-funded duty, and “strongly recommended” their official campaign headquarters was not their electorate office.

The event in Ms Simpson’s office is scheduled for a Saturday morning midway through the campaign.

The call for volunteers on the TryBooking website was abruptly pulled down after The Australian asked the LNP questions.

A spokeswoman said: “These individuals have volunteered their own time for a weekend event that was to be held in the vacant space next door to her electorate office.”

It follows revelations electorate officers for LNP deputy leader Jarrod Bleijie and opposition justice spokesman Tim Nicholls were organising election fundraisers and campaign activities for their MP bosses – but the party insisted they were doing it in their own time.

Mr Nicholls’s electorate staffer Karsten Duvel was recruiting fellow Young LNP members to help the MP campaign in his seat of Clayfield, promising people would be paid to make calls to voters for Mr Nicholls.

Meanwhile, Mr Bleijie’s electorate officer Aydan Rusev has organised several LNP fundraisers for his Kawana MP boss, including his annual “dinner and a show” event in August and a $750-a-ticket Australian Monarchist League dinner at the Queensland Club in September.

Mr Laurie wrote to all MPs this week, revealing he had received several complaints from the public about the misuse of electorate office resources and allowances by some MPs and their staff.

“Some members, or those undertaking work for them, either do not adequately understand the rules or have elected to disregard them. I strongly suspect it is the former,” Mr Laurie said.

The clerk also warned of strict rules for using taxpayer-funded communications allowances for billboards, corflutes and newsletters, instructing that MPs were not allowed to feature party logos, a party leader without the local member, or “any exhortation to vote in a certain manner”.