I love gossip. Better still, I love it when it's probably true.
No matter what political stripes you wear on your sleeve, you have to ask some questions about the sudden departure of Warren Pitt, a long-serving State Minister in the ALP, and the MP for Mulgrave, on the South of Cairns.
As recently as last week Warren Pitt was out and about, campaigning for another term as the MP for Mulgrave. It caught everyone by surprise, even his own LEC who are scurrying around for another candidate, under the cloud of the soon-to-be-announced State election date.
A source, very close to Premier Bligh has told CairnsBlog, that following Mike Reynolds resignation as Speaker of the House on Sunday, Mulgrave MP Warren Pitt approached Premier Bligh to take on the role, more befitting him, after 20 years service.
However, this request was rejected point blank by Bligh.
"Well, I'll walk," the upset Minister Pitt told the Premier. And so he did. Yesterday Warren Pitt pulled the plug, and said it was "health reasons", the same reason Speaker Reynolds gave.
Following Mike Reynolds' departure, it seems that former mayor of Townsville, Tony Mooney sought ALP pre-selection for the Townsville seat. My sources say that Premier Bligh intervened in this also, and put the kibosh on the wishes of the locals who supported Mooney.
Meanwhile, Cairns MP, Desley Boyle is definitely running. "I just love being the member for Cairns," she said on ABC Far North radio yesterday.
"Hearing the opposition making all these preposterous claims I think, ...'oh here we go again!'" Desley said. "I hope the people will give me another go at this job."
We really should give her another "go" at the job, as she, along with Steve Wettenhall, need to rebuild the historic Cairns Yacht Club building, from it's crumpled remains at JCU's Smithfield campus.
With eight resignations from MP's over the last few weeks, there seems a great deal of disquiet in Queensland's ALP.
2 comments:
Make that nine. That great servant of the public, Chris "Bomber" Bombolas was retired, also sighting "health" reasons.
He was as likely as anyone to lose his seat though, so maybe he has saved himself the embarassment.
And the new ALP candidate for Mulgrave is??
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