Brawl engulfs LNP over safe seat of Bowman

Henry Pike, the LNP candidate picked to contest Andrew Laming’s seat, is facing an official complaint made by the former branch chair.

Henry Pike. Picture: Mark Cranitch

The LNP candidate picked to contest Andrew Laming’s seat is facing an official complaint made by the former branch chair.

Outgoing Bowman branch boss Craig Luxton has complained to Queensland’s Liberal National Party for failing to investigate allegations of preselection tampering.

Henry Pike is accused of interfering with the Bowman preselection by asking a rival – Fiona Ward – to consider dropping out of the race with an alleged implied offer that he would cover her nomination fee.

Mr Luxton quit as chairman hours after Mr Pike was endorsed, claiming he could no longer see “a path to victory” for the LNP in the blue-ribbon seat.

The phone call was made as LNP officials contemplated delaying the hotly-contested preselection by up to a week because Ms Ward and Brisbane-based state executive members would be unable to attend the vote due to a Covid-lockdown.

The extension for Brisbane’s stay at home orders did not affect the other four candidates or local preselectors who were outside the extended lockdown zone.

Mr Pike’s detractors say he was nervous support would fall away if the vote was delayed and hoped Ms Ward would pull out of the race to allow the preselection to continue as planned.

While Ms Ward, who won only two of the 197 votes, was not considered a threat, delaying the preselection would have disadvantaged Mr Pike, whose closest rivals had more support from Brisbane-based party leadership.
Contacted byThe Australian, Mr Luxton said he could not comment on internal party matters. Ms Ward and the LNP did not respond to phone calls or texts.

Mr Pike would not comment on internal party matters but his supporters say the complaint was “sour grapes from those backing defeated candidates”.

“This seems to be a couple of disgruntled members grasping at straws,” a supporter said. “We are talking about a third-hand account of what someone said to a candidate who got 1 per cent of the vote.”

Three of the five candidates were involved in preselection rule breaches, two of those considered minor and one more serious.

Maggie Forrest, who lost the endorsement by 19 votes, gave a formal apology on the day for allowing her supporters to letterbox preselectors. Under party rules, candidates must handout letters themselves.

Three-time Redlands mayor Karen Williams, who came third, was also asked to apologise for using the members list to send out her endorsement letters.

Party leadership was made aware of the more serious allegation against Mr Pike, but claimed they did not have enough time to investigate the matter.

Mr Luxton, who is supported by other rank and file members, is urging officials to thoroughly examine the complaint and determine whether the phone call was coercive or intimidatory, which would breach party rules.

The divisive vote in Bowman has flared factional tensions ahead of the LNP state convention this weekend when former opposition leader Lawrence Springborg is expected to roll party President Cynthia Hardy.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who preferred a female candidate for Bowman, was said to be “ticked off” by the result and unhappy with the LNP leadership which reopened preselection nominations earlier this year.

Fran Ward, 50, chair of the LNP’s small business policy committee, would have been the candidate if the party executive did not vote to reopen nominations, making way for Mr Pike’s victory.