Friday 19 August 2011

Libs dump Paul Freebody for 'gross breach of standards'

The Liberal National Party have reopened nominations for the State seat of Cairns today after ditching Paul Freebody as their candidate today.

The decision follows a week of scandal and bad publicity for the LNP surrounding an email Freebody sent out last Thursday, saying he hoped Prime Minister Julia Gillard follows the history of John F Kennedy.

"We have expelled Paul Freebody as our candidate for the seat of Cairns, as a result of the email," LNP state director Michael O’Dwyer said.

“The LNP state executive expects all candidates and elected representatives to behave with the utmost propriety and to uphold at all times high standards of behaviour, loyalty and integrity,” O’Dwyer said. “The LNP views any act of disloyalty and improper conduct by a candidate as a gross breach of the party’s standards.”

Federal Liberal Leichhardt MP, Warren Entsch, who publicly didn't support Freebody's candidacy and noticeably didn't turn up for the LNP preselection earlier this year, will probably push for former Cairns businessman, Bob Norman, to take the role.

Former manager of Sunlover, Terry Russell, who was to contend the preselection in February but didn't at the last minute, may be a strong contender for the nomination.

Other names that have been suggested are former Cairns Mayor Kevin Byrne, who is expected to re-contest the mayoralty in March 2012; mayoral aspirant Ian Thomas; and lawyer Brett Moller of Marino Moller.

6 comments:

Terry Vance said...

Hope you keep your poll results published Mike. Freebody obviously has some supporters.

Bryan Law said...

but, but he had "lawyers" to keep him safe.

I'm sad that we won't be seeing Paul's posters all around the place - unless he calls his water park "CANDO World".

Unknown said...

Finally the LNP did something constructive! Well really it was a blessing in disguise for the LNP better to firetruck now and not later if he somehow managed to get elected..

Vote [1] SexiSam none of the others are worth voting for (especially Barron River)

:Kevin-John: Morgan. said...

One can only wish that the Cairns Regional Council learn a lesson in this affair with the LNP and reciprocate the action in the local area, by removing that other waste of space, blight/cancer, within the local electorate...Alan Blake!

Alas, the CRC will never move forward in these matters, whilst using brain-dead commercial media to promote its agenda.

Terry Vance said...

Is this the whole story though? I suspect there is more to this, but I guess we will never know.

Anonymous said...

This is indeed great news for the people of Cairns!

Without the myopic distraction of Queensland politics, Mr Freebody and his family can again concentrate all of their energies in delivering their promised multi-million dollar boost to our local economy - Adventure Waters.

Like so many others, I despaired about Paul's flirting with state politics - and was very concerned that there has been nothing done on either the proposed site or indeed on the web page where we are told "our website will continue to be updated and improved as we progress" since April 2010.

So please Mr Freebody, please, please sir, can we have an opening date? My grandchildren are visiting this Christmas and I would like to take them to Adventure Waters - the 7 rides sound so fantastic!