LNP BOSS FIRES BACK AT CRITICS AS RIFT DEEPENS

President attacks former members over campaign criticism

QUEENSLAND LNP president Gary Spence has launched a scathing attack on two former senior members for publicly criticising the party’s failed election campaign in the North.

In an email sent to Queensland LNP members yesterday, Mr Spence denied claims by former Herbert MP Peter Lindsay and former Richmond mayor John Wharton that the 2017 state election campaign in Townsville had been mis- handled by the party’s hierarchy.

“Let me assure you, there is no one more disappointed than me that we did not win a seat in Townsville or further north,” he said.

Mr Spence said the party had taken “drastic” steps to intervene in the LNP campaign in North Queensland and accused Mr Lindsay and Cr Wharton of not helping “on the ground” in Townsville.

“If they had been ( on the ground), then the party may not have needed to intervene in the Townsville seats, particularly Mundingburra, of which Mr Lindsay was the SEC Chair,” he said. “Townsville generally, and the Mundingburra electorate in particular, was the only location in the state where the drastic decision was made to send one of our key campaigners from headquarters for almost two weeks to support the efforts of our Northern Co- ordinator.”

Mr Spence also defended the leadership team’s decision to suspend Mr Lindsay and Cr Wharton from the LNP for six and three months respectively after they both broke party rules by speaking about internal matters to the media.

“I have received delegations from members from many parts of the state expressing frustration with those who speak out in the media and denigrate the LNP brand,” he said. “This inappropriate behaviour reflects poorly on all of us.”

Mr Spence was also critical of the lengths Mr Lindsay and Cr Wharton went to criticise the LNP hierarchy for not listening to them or consulting with members in Townsville during the election.

“I do not recall one instance of either Mr Lindsay or Cr Wharton contacting me or any other member of the LNP’s leadership team during the state election,” he said.

“If they had, their views would certainly have been heard with an open mind and in a constructive spirit.”

But yesterday Mr Lindsay hit back at Mr Spence’s comments and reasserted his belief the LNP’s management in Brisbane needed to “sharpen up”.

“This is not about me, this is about the performance of the party bosses,” he said. “I was disappointed to see the president saying they’d sent a campaigner to Townsville … I was not informed of that and never met him while he was here.”

Mr Lindsay said Mr Spence never sought his input on a local campaign as claimed.