Ron will now go it alone
CONTROVERSIAL One Nation Gold Coast campaigner Ron Nightingale has split with the party and decided to run as an independent in the new Southport seat of Bonney.
Mr Nightingale’s decision caused shockwaves on social media given his exhaustive daily campaigning for One Nation Broadwater candidate Brendan Ball.
The announcement will put the small businessman on a collision course with the Greens and Save Our Spit supporters after months of fiery responses on community social media pages.
“Coast members are still on friendly terms with him,” a One Nation source said. “But Ron and the party’s state campaign team did not get on. There was a butting of heads there politically.”
Bonney is regarded as only favouring the conservatives slightly with a 2.2 per cent margin and will be contested by political newcomers Rowan Holzberger, from Labor, and former Stuart Robert staffer Sam O’Connor, for the LNP.
The preferences from Mr Nightingale are likely to prove crucial, but he said he was “out to win”. “I’m a small businessman. I haven’t got that much money. I haven’t got the thousands of the Fadden Forum,” Mr Nightingale said.
His decision to stand was influenced by One Nation not announcing a candidate for the new state seat which reminds the Biggera Waters resident of his old suburb of Geebung in Brisbane.
“It is still amicable (my relationship with One Nation). I have informed Brendan that I’m running my own campaign,” Mr Nightingale said.
“He accepted that quite happily. I’m not the easiest person to work with in a party structure. I’m argumentative and quite straightforward.
“While I’m running, I’m not running against a One Nation candidate. I can’t be certain (they will run a candidate), I haven’t heard any word.
“Either way I’ve decided to throw my hat in the ring. I think you and the media will be in for quite a ride.”
Meanwhile, Gaven MP Sid Cramp confirmed he had been endorsed for the Coast Hinterland seat after a vote of members in his electorate.
Mr Cramp is the last of the LNP MPs to be endorsed for the state poll expected before the end of the year.