Factions to battle for Jim Madden’s safe Labor seat as Premier’s staffer firms

A factional brawl is brewing over departing Labor MP Jim Madden’s electorate of Ipswich West, but a staffer for Annastacia Palaszczuk is firming as a likely contender.

Labor MP Jim Madden announces he won’t contest the 2024 Queensland election. Picture: NewsWire / Sarah Marshall

A factional brawl is brewing over departing Labor MP Jim Madden’s electorate of Ipswich West, but a staff member for Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk is firming as a likely contender.

Mr Madden announced this week that he would not recontest the safe seat, blaming his health rather than allegations of coercive control, bullying and inappropriate touching that have been levelled against him.

The backbencher was a longtime member of the Premier’s Right faction but defected to the dominant Left ahead of the 2020 election.

There will now be a battle over whether the seat of Ipswich West belongs to the Right or the Left.

Right figures say their faction has the numbers in the electorate’s branches and Ipswich West MPs traditionally have been Right-aligned. But the Left insists that because Mr Madden won the 2020 election as a member of their faction, they have the upper hand.

Preselection will not open until much closer to the poll in October next year.

But The Australian has spoken to several Labor sources from both factions who have confirmed Ms Palaszczuk’s caucus liaison Wendy Bourne, an active member of the Rosewood branch in the electorate, is positioned as a likely replacement for Mr Madden.

Ms Bourne recently switched from the Left to the Right faction.

Ipswich West Labor MP Jim Madden and his then girlfriend Sarah Grist. Picture: Sarah Grist

Ms Palaszczuk’s office did not comment.

Mr Madden’s departure means the Left has fulfilled its requirement to get rid of one male MP ahead of the next election, to meet the party’s gender quota rules. The Right still has to replace a male MP with a woman.

The Premier has opted not to take action against Mr Madden, despite the allegations. The ALP formally investigated allegations of bullying made by former electorate office staffer Alison Young, and found Mr Madden responsible for 22 breaches of party rules.

He was reprimanded and given one-on-one anti-bullying coaching. Labor is now investigating a second formal complaint from an unnamed ex-electorate office staffer that alleges bullying and other inappropriate behaviour towards staff, campaign workers and party volunteers.

Mr Madden is accused of coercive control by ex-girlfriend Sarah Grist, who alleges he made her call him “Sir” during their years-long relationship.

Ms Grist says Mr Madden used his power over her to pay for her Labor membership, force her to take executive roles in his local branch, and tell her how to vote.