Labor shunned deal and lost Currumbin

LABOR shunned a preference deal with an independent candidate which may have cost the ALP picking up the seat of veteran Gold Coast MP Jann Stuckey.

The Bulletin can reveal Currumbin independent Andy Semple reached out to Labor’s Georgi Leader in the lead-up to the November 25 poll.

In a text on November 7, he wrote: “Hello Georgi, have you decided on the order for your how to vote cards, rgds (sic) Andy.”

Mr Semple confirmed he had contacted both Ms Leader and Gold Coast-based Senator Murray Watt before the ballot draw.

“She or her team – no one called me. Jann’s office called me and said ‘what are you going to do about preferences’,” Mr Semple said.

“Then I found out Labor was going to put me last and I thought bugger it, I will do the same to them. If you are trying to beat Jann Stuckey, why are you putting her number three on your card?”

After counting in Currumbin resumed again yesterday, Ms Stuckey on a two-party preferred count was 1028 votes ahead of Ms Leader. Mr Semple in the count so far has obtained 1117 primary votes, and a preference deal with Labor would have seen many of those go to Ms Leader.

Scrutineers suggest the preference flow from Mr Semple to Ms Stuckey is at least 55 per cent at some booths.

Ms Stuckey yesterday declined to comment on the preference deal.