Bundaberg MP Tom Smith calls for Crisafulli apology, Bennett sacking

It has been a sorry state of affairs in the Burnett this week, with Labor MP Tom Smith and the opposition trading calls for apologies in the fallout from LNP MP Stephen Bennett’s late-night social media faux pas.

The fallout from LNP Burnett MP Stephen Bennett's social media comments criticising health workers continued on Tuesday with Labor Bundaberg MP Tom Smith and the opposition trading calls to apologise.

The fallout from LNP Burnett MP Stephen Bennett’s social media criticism of health workers continued on Tuesday with Labor Bundaberg MP Tom Smith and the opposition trading calls to apologise.

Mr Bennett gave an apology on Thursday, September 14 for comments made on Facebook calling for cutbacks to health worker entitlements, saying he was “trading barbs with a local Labor Party member” later identified as former Australia Services Union organiser Donna Webster.

As shown in screenshots of the exchange between Mr Bennett and Ms Webster tabled by Health Minister Shannon Fentiman on September 13, Mr Bennett said Ms Webster was “part of the problem” after she said there was “no crisis” in the Qld health system, using an abbreviation commonly understood to mean “what the f--k”.

“No crisis are you kidding me you must change the Labor drinks they are providing at your meetings,” Mr Bennett said.

“WTF people are losing everything under your mates watch shame on you (sic).”

In the Facebook comments tabled in parliament, Mr Bennett said Ms Webster was "part of the problem" contributing to the health crisis, and used a common abbreviation for the expletive "what the f--k".

The following day a Bargara resident and Voluntary Assisted Dying advocate, Moya Jackson, sent an email to Mr Smith informing him of a 2018 conversation with Mr Bennett in which the Burnett MP said the LNP would abolish Nurse Navigators “as a matter of urgency” as they added “another level of bureaucracy”.

In a media conference called by Mr Smith on Tuesday, he called for Mr Bennett to apologise to Ms Webster and Ms Jackson, and for opposition leader David Crisafulli to sack Mr Bennett for his criticism of health workers and the “profanities” he used in his conversation with Ms Webster.

“It’s quite clear that the member for Burnett is no longer suitable to represent his community, which has Queensland Health workers living in it, and is no longer suitable to be the right hand man of David Crisafulli,” Mr Smith said.

“Which means if the leader of the opposition doesn‘t sack the member for Burnett, he backs the member for Burnett, and that is simply not good enough.”

The person Stephen Bennett was "trading barbs" with, Donna Webster (shown in this 2015 photo, far left) is a former Australia Services Union organiser.

Mr Smith also criticised Mr Crisafulli for not meeting with Ms Webster and Ms Jackson on Monday, September 18, when he was in Bundaberg to announce the preselection of Bree Watson as the LNP candidate for Bundaberg at the 2024 state election.

A spokesperson for Mr Crisafulli questioned Mr Smith’s motivations in criticising the opposition leader for not meeting with Ms Webster and Ms Jackson, saying said it was “disappointing” Mr Smith had not passed on an invitation to meet the two Burnett constituents.

“The last thing the people of Bundaberg want right now is a misleading Labor MP more focused on the chaos and crisis of his own government,” the spokesperson said.

Ms Webster, who attended the media conference along with Ms Jackson, said she was “surprised and shocked” by Mr Bennett’s language and “a little bit ashamed” at the knowledge that her grandchildren could see his comments.

“For them to know how the state member was treating me, and we live in his electorate, wasn’t a good evening,” she said.

Ms Jackson rejected the claim that nurse navigators added another layer of bureaucracy, saying they had been “absolutely awesome” in assisting her through her struggles with pancreatic cancer.

Bundaberg MP Tom Smith (right) called for Stephen Bennett to apologise for criticising health workers and suggesting the LNP would abolish nurse navigators.

Around 40 minutes before the scheduled start of Mr Smith’s press conference, shadow minister for integrity in government Fiona Simpson called for Mr Smith to apologise for comments made in an opinion column which she said claimed that the crime, health and housing crisis were “distortions of reality” and a “media beat-up”.

In response, Mr Smith said “the LNP has forgotten how to read” because his column was referring to the way in which the Queensland Parliament was reported.

Mr Bennett’s office declined to comment.

Originally published as Bundaberg MP Tom Smith calls for Crisafulli apology, Bennett sacking