LNP pins hopes on decorated cop in ‘tough by-election’

A decorated policeman will vie for the Labor-held seat of Stretton in a looming state by-election where he is likely to take on a former Brisbane City Council candidate.

Candidate for the Stretton by-election, Jim Bellos. Picture: Richard Walker

A decorated policeman will vie for the Labor-held seat of Stretton for the Liberal National Party, in a looming state by-election where he is likely to take on a former Brisbane City Council candidate.

The by-election will be prompted by the upcoming resignation of Duncan Pegg, who is fighting cancer and told colleagues last month he would step aside.

LNP leader David Crisafulli formally announced police Sergeant Jim Bellos as the LNP’s candidate on Sunday but said he was “under no illusions” about the challenge the aspirant faced.

Preselection for Labor has not officially opened yet, but Mr Bellos is likely to take on Mr Pegg’s electorate officer James Martin, also a member of the Old Guard faction, who last year contested to become a councillor in Brisbane’s Calamvale ward.

Mr Pegg, 40, was elected to represent the multicultural Brisbane electorate in 2015 and increased his margin at the 2017 and 2020 elections. He was re-elected in 2020 after defeating LNP candidate Peter Zhuang with a buffer of 14.28 per cent.

“I’m under no illusions how tough this area is and … how tough by-elections in general are,” Mr Crisafulli said.

“I wanted … to show people we are fair dinkum about them.”

Mr Bellos, who won a 2009 Queenslander of the Year award and received a Medal of the Order of Australia and Australian Police Medal for his work in diverse communities, said he had collaboratively worked with Mr Pegg throughout his career.

“I’d like to thank Duncan Pegg for his years of service,” he said.

Mr Bellos was quick to lay the platform for his campaign, raising crime and local traffic congestion as issues.

“I want your family to have a safe neighbourhood, secure health care — and I’m tired of sitting in traffic on Gowan Road,” he said.

Charlie Peel