Now quit LNP, Petter Dutton urges Clive Palmer ally David Hutchinson
Queensland’s Liberal National Party is in chaos with its state president David Hutchinson defying mounting calls to resign | READ DUTTON’S LETTER
Queensland’s Liberal National Party is in chaos with its state president David Hutchinson defying mounting calls led by Peter Dutton – and backed by Scott Morrison - to resign.
The embattled president has privately accused Mr Dutton - Queensland’s most senior federal LNP MP - of “shifting the goalposts” after he quit his job as a property consultant with the party’s political rival Clive Palmer.
Mr Dutton told reporters on Thursday that Mr Hutchinson’s presidency was “untenable” after actively undermining LNP state leader Deb Frecklington in secretly commissioning and leaking damaging polling against her.
Former LNP president Gary Spence is being touted as an interim replacement for Mr Hutchinson in the move against him that is supported by Scott Morrison and Michael McCormack.
Senior LNP state and federal MPs, as well as a number of party elders also believe Mr Hutchinson should resign to stem the damage to Ms Frecklington’s campaign ahead of the October 31 state election.
Mr Dutton has conceded there is little that can be formally done to force Mr Hutchinson’s resignation, with the LNP’s mid-year state convention – where he could have faced a challenge - cancelled because of the COVID pandemic.
The calls were sparked by revelations Mr Hutchinson was behind the weekend leaking of internal polling revealing Ms Frecklington is trailing Labor premier Annastacia Palaszczuk in popularity and marginal seats, despite published polling showing the LNP leading Labor 52-48 per cent, two-party preferred.
After the leaking of the polling, Ms Frecklington said she would not bow to the “backroom bully boys” before she then secured the unanimous support on Monday of fellow LNP MPs to lead the LNP to the state election.
Ms Frecklington later called on Mr Hutchinson to “honour his commitment” earlier this year to either quit as party president or his role as a property adviser to Mr Palmer if the businessman’s United Australia Party were to contest the election.
Mr Hutchinson made the commitment in January after The Australian first revealed he had last year taken a job with Mr Palmer - just months after the pair struck a preference deal that helped return the Morrison government to power at the federal election.
Despite resigning from his job with Mr Palmer – whose United Australia Party recently called for candidates to stand at the state poll – Mr Dutton said Mr Hutchinson now also needed to stand down as LNP president over his role in destabalising Ms Frecklington’s leadership.
“It’s been clear to me for some time that Mr Hutchinson’s position is untenable because of his direct employment relationship with Mr Palmer,’’ Mr Dutton said.
“There’s no precedent for it, you can’t be the president of the LNP and be directly employed by the principal of another political organisation.
“But to compound that, for Mr Hutchinson to be involved in airing polling aimed at damaging Deb Frecklington’s leadership is completely unacceptable and it makes his position untenable.
“The LNP prides itself in being a grassroots organisation, and the grassroots of our organisation want this issue dealt with quickly.’’
Mr Dutton followed his public comments with a letter, obtained by The Australian, sent to federal LNP parliamentarians and the party’s powerful state executive in which he details the case against Mr Hutchinson.
Read Peter Dutton’s letter here
Mr Hutchinson would not comment publicly on the calls for his resignation.
But sources said Mr Hutchinson – who took over the LNP presidency role in 2018 – has told the party he will not resign.
Mr Palmer last year employed Mr Hutchinson as a property consultant, with former LNP president Bruce McIver – who was also involved in the move against Ms Frecklington - employed as a director of one of his development companies.
Other senior LNP figures and members of the party’s state executive also have strong links with Mr Palmer, but deny involvement in the plotting against Ms Frecklington.
Malcolm Cole and federal Nationals president Larry Anthony are on the LNP state executive and their SAS Group does communications work for Mr Palmer.
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