Ex-LNP MP gets ‘stuck in’

Ugly preselection spat

SURFERS Paradise LNP MP John-Paul Langbroek is in a Twitter war with former colleague Jann Stuckey after commenting about party preselections.

Mr Langbroek had tweeted about Labor’s pre-selection of former world surfing champion Wayne “Rabbit” Bartholomew in Burleigh, but his remarks have misfired, stirring up Ms Stuckey.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk’s “captain’s call” to endorse Mr Bartholomew sparked a closed Labor party branch meeting at the weekend. It also forced respected long-term Labor member and ex-Burleigh MP Christine Smith to resign from the party.

Mr Langbroek seized upon the ALP infighting, saying on Twitter that the past problem of poor-quality candidates had returned to haunt the Government.

He repeated comments about Brisbane-based Labor either not understanding or caring about the Coast and its people. He said the Premier had chosen a “blow-in candidate for Burleigh, splitting the local membership”.

The comment prompted Ms Stuckey to reply: “That’s exactly what you did JP in Currumbin. Went out and found a blow-in and more than 25 branch members resigned. Only difference, she isn’t a celebrity. Still cannot believe you went behind my back and didn’t have the guts to tell me.”

Ms Stuckey resigned as Currumbin MP in January and days later spoke about being ostracised by party members for supporting the decriminalisation of abortion.

STILL CANNOT BELIEVE YOU WENT BEHIND MY BACK AND DIDN’T HAVE THE GUTS TO TELL ME JANN STUCKEY

LNP sources later estimated up to 25 members had left the Currumbin branch after Laura Gerber was pre-selected as candidate. Ms Stuckey’s preferred candidate missed out.

Ms Gerber won a close byelection in March after Labor failed to get enough of a flow of Green preferences and the One Nation vote went to the LNP.