ID :
169673
Mon, 03/21/2011 - 12:26
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/169673
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Campbell urged to resign as Brisbane mayor
(AAP) - March 21 - Brisbane Lord Mayor Campbell Newman should quit immediately if he has designs on state politics, his council opponents say.
Queensland's Labor government has asked the anti-corruption watchdog to probe reports Liberal National Party MP Bruce Flegg was offered a plum job if he quit his seat to make way for Mr Newman.
LNP President Bruce McIver is not commenting on reports senior members of executive have tried to recruit Mr Newman to replace Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek.
Mr Newman has not ruled out a tilt at state politics, and he refused at the weekend to comment on the strength of Mr Langbroek's leadership.
Labor's lord mayoral candidate Ray Smith on Monday suggested Mr Newman might be biding his time.
He said that if Mr Newman stepped down as lord mayor within 12 months of the next council election, due in March next year, an LNP councillor could be appointed to replace him.
"If Campbell Newman waits a little bit longer before making this announcement, the people of Brisbane - and I'm one of them - can have a lord mayor foisted on them by the faceless men of the LNP as described by John-Paul Langbroek," Mr Smith told the ABC.
"... I think the Brisbane residents that have trusted Campbell Newman should feel betrayed."
Dr Flegg said earlier there had been some discussion with party officials but he had not been offered any inducements to give up his seat of Moggill.
He repeated his intention to recontest the seat for the LNP at the next state election and said the allegation referred to the anti-corruption agency was groundless.
"The matter that's referred to the CMC (Crime and Misconduct Commission) is not correct, and there will be nothing of interest found by the CMC," he told reporters.
Mr Langbroek on Monday said he had absolutely no intention of standing aside for Mr Newman, should he enter state politics.
"No. No, I will not stand aside. I am the democratically elected leader of the LNP, the leader of the opposition," he told the ABC.
He said "faceless men" in his party were behind a secret internal poll canvassing support for alternative leadership contenders including Mr Newman.
The poll of 600 people found 48 per cent believed Mr Newman would be a better LNP leader, compared with 15 per cent for Mr Langbroek and 3 per cent for Tim Nicholls, the ABC reported.
Mr Langbroek admitted he'd been kept in the dark about the polling and challenged those behind it to come forward.
Queensland's Labor government has asked the anti-corruption watchdog to probe reports Liberal National Party MP Bruce Flegg was offered a plum job if he quit his seat to make way for Mr Newman.
LNP President Bruce McIver is not commenting on reports senior members of executive have tried to recruit Mr Newman to replace Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek.
Mr Newman has not ruled out a tilt at state politics, and he refused at the weekend to comment on the strength of Mr Langbroek's leadership.
Labor's lord mayoral candidate Ray Smith on Monday suggested Mr Newman might be biding his time.
He said that if Mr Newman stepped down as lord mayor within 12 months of the next council election, due in March next year, an LNP councillor could be appointed to replace him.
"If Campbell Newman waits a little bit longer before making this announcement, the people of Brisbane - and I'm one of them - can have a lord mayor foisted on them by the faceless men of the LNP as described by John-Paul Langbroek," Mr Smith told the ABC.
"... I think the Brisbane residents that have trusted Campbell Newman should feel betrayed."
Dr Flegg said earlier there had been some discussion with party officials but he had not been offered any inducements to give up his seat of Moggill.
He repeated his intention to recontest the seat for the LNP at the next state election and said the allegation referred to the anti-corruption agency was groundless.
"The matter that's referred to the CMC (Crime and Misconduct Commission) is not correct, and there will be nothing of interest found by the CMC," he told reporters.
Mr Langbroek on Monday said he had absolutely no intention of standing aside for Mr Newman, should he enter state politics.
"No. No, I will not stand aside. I am the democratically elected leader of the LNP, the leader of the opposition," he told the ABC.
He said "faceless men" in his party were behind a secret internal poll canvassing support for alternative leadership contenders including Mr Newman.
The poll of 600 people found 48 per cent believed Mr Newman would be a better LNP leader, compared with 15 per cent for Mr Langbroek and 3 per cent for Tim Nicholls, the ABC reported.
Mr Langbroek admitted he'd been kept in the dark about the polling and challenged those behind it to come forward.
