Queensland Labor Party branch folds, staffer quits over Annastacia Palaszczuk’s preselections

A Labor Party branch has folded after the mass departure of members over the forced resignation of a preselected contender.

Labor’s 2017 Whitsunday candidate Bronwyn Taha has quit her job as a staffer in protest. Picture: Tara Croser

A Labor Party branch in the ultra-marginal seat of Whitsunday has folded after the mass departure of members over the forced resignation of a preselected contender to make way for Annastacia Palaszczuk’s hand-picked nominee.

The Premier’s interference in preselections has also led Labor stalwart Bronwyn Taha to quit her job as a staffer for Mackay MP Julieanne Gilbert.

Ms Taha was the party’s candidate for the north Queensland seat of Whitsunday in the 2015 and 2017 state elections and previously ran for the federal seat of Dawson. She was a former party organiser and president of the Whitsunday/Proserpine Labor branch, which has effectively closed after a series of resignations following the axing of its chosen candidate, Tracey ­Cameron. Ms Cameron has also cancelled her membership.

Labor sources told The Australian Ms Taha was furious at the Premier and state executive’s meddling in the selection of candidates and had resigned in ­disgust. Ms Taha declined to comment on Monday.

Ms Cameron, a small-business owner, was preselected in ­November and had been busily campaigning until she was pressured to resign on August 13.

She was replaced days later by Angie Kelly, the sister of Greenslopes MP Joe Kelly, a member of Ms Palaszczuk’s Right faction.

The resignation of the party’s active branch members has left Ms Kelly without the support of seasoned volunteers to back her campaign.

“It’s a pretty dumb, ignorant move, I think, from the people ­involved,” a party source said. “They did not respect branch members and just expected them to get behind them and deal with it, which is just not going to ­happen.”

Ms Taha’s departure as a ­staffer follows the resignation on the weekend of former Burleigh MP Christine Smith, who left the party over Ms Palaszczuk’s interference in the selection of Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew.

The Premier personally ­announced the surfing legend’s preselection on the Gold Coast on August 16, angering local party members who planned to elect their own candidate in the Burleigh seat.

 

Both Mr Bartholomew and Ms Kelly signed up as members of the party shortly before their candidacy was announced.

Ms Palaszczuk, who has said she would “not apologise” for the preselection shake-up, on Monday did not offer an opinion on Ms Smith’s resignation.

“Christine served the people of Burleigh for many years. I need a very strong candidate down there, and Wayne ‘Rabbit’ Bartholomew will do an excellent job,” Ms Palaszczuk said.

“I need the best people in these jobs to make sure that we’re ­focused on our health response and our economic response.”

The preselection in Hervey Bay, north of Brisbane, is also ­facing upheaval.

The frontrunner for endorsement was Adrian Tantari, who vied for the seat in 2017, but sources have said his run has been weakened by a bid from former federal nominee Jason Scanes, who has worked for senator ­Anthony Chisholm and is backed by senior Labor figures.

The Australian understands a candidate was due to be announced last week in the electorate of Mirani, near Mackay, but there are ongoing deliberations among the party’s factions over the potential candidate.