Extract from ABC News
Updated
Photo:
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's minority government relies on the seat of Ferny Grove to stay in power. (AAP: Dan Peled)
The election outcome in the Brisbane seat of Ferny Grove will not be challenged in court by the Liberal National Party (LNP).
The
party was caught off-guard by the Electoral Commission of Queensland's
(ECQ) change of heart last Friday over referring the result to the Court
of Disputed Returns.It came a day after the ECQ declared ALP candidate Mark Furner as the successful candidate in Ferny Grove by more than 400 votes, after preferences.
The issue in Ferny Grove was the revelation that Palmer United Party candidate Mark Taverner was an undischarged bankrupt, invalidating his candidacy.
The ECQ initially said it would seek the court's ruling on whether a by-election was warranted.
Court unlikely to reject result, says Antony Green
The final result revealed Mr Taverner received 993 votes, with 353 of those "exhausted" with no further preferences for Labor, the LNP or Greens candidates.ABC election analyst Antony Green said if every one of these exhausted ballots had instead been votes for the LNP, Labor would still have won the seat by more than 100 votes.
He said this meant it was more likely the court would reject the by-election option.
As the ECQ declared results in the last of the state's 89 electorates, it also announced that based on further legal advice, it would not take the Ferny Grove result to court.
In response, LNP state director Brad Henderson said last Friday the party would take its own advice on the matter.
But Mr Henderson released a statement on Monday night saying the LNP was dropping the matter.
"After considering advice, the LNP will not be referring the Ferny Grove election result to the Court of Disputed Returns," he said.
"The LNP will now focus on providing a stable and competent alternative government for the people of Queensland over the course of the next Parliament.
"The LNP places on record its thanks and appreciation of the contribution made by its candidate and former member for Ferny Grove, Dale Shuttleworth, and his family."
Meanwhile, Labor's trimmed-down ministry has been sworn into office at Government House in Brisbane.
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