Santoro LNP bid sparks party revolt

Former Queensland LNP leader Tim Nicholls has moved an extraordinary motion against his own party headquarters over its blocking of ex-minister and veteran lobbyist Santo Santoro’s bid to join its powerful executive.

Santo Santoro’s bid to become a member of the LNP state executive has sparked an internal party brawl. Picture: Liam Kidston

Former Queensland Liberal ­National Party leader Tim Nicholls has moved an extraordinary motion against his own party headquarters over its blocking of a bid by ex-minister and veteran lobbyist Santo Santoro to join its executive.

An annual general meeting of the major metro north branch on Thursday night erupted in chaos when it was announced LNP state director Ben Riley had declared ineligible Mr Santoro’s nomination to become branch chair.

Mr Santoro – a former factional war lord who was traditionally close to Opposition leader Peter Dutton – is a divisive figure in the party.

He was forced to resign in 2007 from John Howard’s cabinet and then the Senate over undeclared shareholdings. He had to quit as Liberal Party vice-president in 2014 after then prime minister Tony Abbott changed the federal lobbying code of conduct preventing lobbyists from holding a party executive role.

Mr Santoro’s bid to join the LNP’s state executive at a time when the party is on track to win government at the October election was viewed by many as a protest against the current direction of party headquarters.

LNP vice-president Doug Hawkes told the meeting Mr Riley had received legal advice that Mr Santoro was ineligible to be a state executive member and a lobbyist because of new Queensland laws banning “dual-hatting”. This prohibits lobbyists from playing a “substantial” role in an election campaign.

There was also an LNP resolution passed in 2011 preventing lobbyists from being members of the executive.

Mr Santoro said he had quit the Queensland lobbyist register that day – after getting rid of all clients except four earlier this month – and had also exited the federal register, but the latter change had yet to be published.

LNP MP Tim Nicholls. Picture: David Clark

LNP state director Ben Riley.

The meeting also discussed whether it mattered that he was an active and registered lobbyist when nominations closed on April 22, just days after the dual-hatting ban came into effect.

Irate party members – including Mr Nicholls, the LNP’s legal affairs spokesman and a long-time ally of Mr Santoro – forced a vote on the chair position against the wishes of headquarters and Mr Hawkes.

Mr Santoro was up against long-time branch vice-chair Tony Gleeson. Mr Hawkes then refused to count the ballots and said they would be sealed and taken back to headquarters.

Mr Nicholls moved a motion condemning the actions of Mr Riley and the LNP secretariat, which was passed, after earlier telling the meeting that he had been at racetracks in the past and knew when “the fix was in”.

The party is now internally divided over what to do about Mr Santoro. The LNP headquarters is seeking legal advice.

It’s the latest in a string of internal blow-ups, including LNP senator Gerard Rennick taking legal action after losing his Senate spot, and former Howard government minister Gary Hardgrave and conservative powerbroker David Goodwin being suspended after allegations of bullying. Mr Goodwin had accused headquarters of being involved in branch-stacking.