Campbell Newman loses fifth MP as Chris Davis suddenly quits parliament
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Version 0 of 1. The Newman government in Queensland has lost a fifth MP since its resounding 2012 election win, with the maverick MP Chris Davis storming out of parliament and politics in an unannounced move that triggers a byelection in his Brisbane-based seat of Stafford. The LNP government still has a vast majority but it shrank again when Davis quit parliament without a courtesy call to the premier. The first-time MP and former Australian Medical Association Queensland president was sacked as assistant health minister last week after clashing with colleagues over changes to the state's corruption watchdog and individual contracts for doctors. Davis said he had stood on some powerful toes and was partly demoted because he raised concerns with the premier about changes to the laws on political donations. His dissatisfaction came to a head on Thursday night when he told parliament he could not support his government's policy to remove caps on political donations and raise disclosure thresholds. He left the chamber before the laws were voted on. Davis said his demotion was a catalyst to his immediate departure from politics but the accumulation of controversial legislation had weighed heavily on his conscience. At the same time as his resignation, he released polling that showed most voters in his Stafford electorate backed him and believed he had been unfairly treated. "The passage of recent government legislation affecting critical aspects of our democracy goes contrary to my value system and that of the majority of my electorate," he said in a statement on his website. "I would never have stood for parliament on such a platform, nor do I believe I would have been elected." The LNP will now have another byelection battle, after suffering a 17% swing against it in the Redcliffe poll three months ago. Newman said he found out about Davis's resignation about the same time as the media did and would have appreciated a phone call. Because there were no health or family reasons for the departure, Davis should have served out his whole term, Newman said. "We have done everything we can to accommodate his concerns within the team," he said. "We have no problem with members speaking out on occasions when they are passionate about things. "The LNP is a team that permits people to cross the floor and he could have done that last night." Newman said he had two candidates in mind to run in Stafford but ultimately it would be up to the party. Maxillofacial surgeon Anthony Lynham had already been selected for Labor. The Queensland opposition leader, Annastacia Palaszczuk, said Davis's resignation was a vote of no confidence in Newman's leadership. "We need to restore honesty and integrity back into Queensland," Palaszczuk said. The Labor leader played down her party's chances of regaining Stafford, which the LNP held by a 7.1% margin. Clive Palmer said his party would contest the byelection but he was calling on the premier to hold a general election instead. |