The preselections are done, the candidates are picked, the party is on a war footing for an election that could be called any day. The Liberal National Party of Queensland is set to go whenever Anna Bligh fires the starting gun.
Except, oops, they forgot something.
Recently the party emailed members calling for volunteers to work on its Disputes Committee.
The Disputes Committee is required under the party’s constitution and is intended to be the appropriate forum to settle disputes over preselection and other intra-party blues. The fact that it has not even been established until after preselections are over indicates a remarkable faith in the amity of candidates. Or it might be all those seats where only one person put their hand up.
Crikey rang LNP headquarters some weeks ago inquiring about who was on the Disputes Committee, which is potentially critical to ensuring factions are able to block opponents or smooth the way for their own. Right-wing chieftain Santo Santoro, for example, was given life membership of the Liberal Party shortly before it merged last year, automatically giving him a seat on the Disputes Committee. We were told State director Michael O’Dwyer would get back to us, which strangely never happened. Perhaps the call jogged someone’s memory.
We are seeking LNP Party Members to volunteer their time to be part of an official Disputes Committee. Eligible participants include Honorary Life Members, former Trustees, former Presidents, former Vice President’s, Members who are former members of the Australian or Queensland Parliaments or Members who hold qualifications in mediation recognized by a legal professional body, legal practitioners of not less than 15 years standing.
Please email info@lnp.org.au if you are interested in being involved. We propose your time would be kept to a minimum in this voluntary role. The formation of the Disputes Committee is consistent with the provisions (Section M.3) of the LNP constitution as follows:
There shall be a Disputes Committee to be constituted as follows:
(a) a panel of legal members, who shall be legal practitioners of not less than fifteen (15) years standing and appointed by State Executive;
(b) a panel of non-legal members comprised of all Honorary Life Members, former Trustees of the Party, former Presidents, former Vice-Presidents and Members who are former members of the Australian or Queensland parliaments;
(c) a panel of mediator members, who shall hold qualifications in mediation recognized by a legal professional body or the Department of Justice for the State of Queensland, and shall be appointed by State Executive.
Does this party have the resouces (meaning manpower) to set up such a committee when the selection criteria are so elite. Is there any current or former MP or party member resident inside or outside this State with such credentials plus inclination to join the LNP’s Disputes Committee? I’m surprised the ALP has one.
That’s Queensland. The backwater of the nation where the state seems to run despite or inspite of its governments – whatever persuasion. Still, millions of Aussies keep heading there every year in search of a cheaper lay-back lifestyle. Should the LNP get in and no doubt suffer another memory lapse say over its role in the nation it might consider signs at borders – Enter At Your Own Risk! No health, no education, no transport, no water, occasional electricity and off and on government!
There’s more than a disputes committee missing. The party’s online media centre is a black hole of communication evidencing a deficit in this party’s MP and hierarchy literacy. Liberal Jann Stuckey as the Shadow Minister for Child Safety and ATSI community development calls for presumably some Labor Minister to come clean over two child deaths? What Minister are you referring to Jann and who is the target of your drivel? No media or individual could give such garbled rubbish the time of day. Deputy leader Mark McArdle’s generic health series is laziness or folly screaming we’re not media savvy. His ‘more very sick people are waiting much longer’ first line sets the tone for some alarmingly abysmal English. Worse still is the Member for Burnett careering through shattered communities offering ‘whistleblower status’ as he blows the whistle himself on the trusting souls. The LNP has a mammoth task ahead of it to convince the people of Qld it’s capable of running the state because right now aside from clearly being several sandwiches short of a picnic it’s offering the most deprived level of community advocacy ever seen in any major political force in this nation.