Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg with Orana residents Lorna Reinbott and Lady Bjelke-Petersen
Elected at the Qld State Council meeting … LNP Vice President Llew O’Brien and President Gary Spence (Photo: LNP)

December 5, 2015

The recent LNP State Council meeting in Kingaroy has been hailed a success, with local accommodation booked out and positive feedback received by organisers.

This is the first time the State Council meeting has been held outside a Queensland provincial city.

Wide Bay Regional Chairman Damien Tessmann said initially there had been some resistance within the political party to holding the meeting in a town the size of Kingaroy.

However, this had quickly dissipated and the only complaints that had been received were that Kingaroy Town Hall wasn’t air-conditioned.

The State Council meeting, held over November 21-22, attracted 260 people to the South Burnett. Delegates debated about 30 resolutions put forward by the party’s various Electoral Councils.

It also confirmed a change in leadership for the party in Queensland.

Vice-President Gary Spence was elected unopposed to the role of President, replacing Bruce McIver who resigned earlier this year after seven years in the role.

Elected Vice-President was well-known Kilkivan police officer Llew O’Brien, a former Wide Bay Regional Chairman.

The conference, which was opened by local MP Deb Frecklington, was live-streamed from Kingaroy Town Hall to LNP members throughout the State.

A popular speaker was Deputy Prime Minister – and former Kingaroy mayor – Warren Truss.

Also in attendance were National Party Federal President Larry Anthony, Federal Attorney-General George Brandis, Senator James McGrath and Federal Member for Longman Wyatt Roy.

It wasn’t all work for the delegates with social events scheduled at Gary Tessmann’s dairy farm at Coolabunia and at historic Ringsfield House in Nanango.

Damien Tessmann said the Kingaroy meeting had now “changed the thinking” within the party and had made it much more likely that future State Council meetings would be held in towns the size of Kingaroy because it had been such a success.

LNP State Electoral Council delegates debate resolutions in Kingaroy Town Hall (Photo: LNP)

* * *

At Orana

Two of the visiting politicians took the opportunity of the visit to Kingaroy to pay their respects to former Senator, Lady Bjelke-Petersen, the widow of former Premier Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen.

Lady Flo now resides at Orana Lutheran Complex.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg and Deputy Leader John-Paul Langbroek enjoyed morning tea with Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington and a number of Orana residents.

Former Kingaroy postmaster Tony Turton showed the visiting politicians two photos he took of the Brisbane CBD … the top one was taken in 1961 “after 40 years under the ALP” while the bottom one was taken 20 years later “this is what happened under the Country / National Party”

Former Member for Callide Di McCauley, right, with her mother Hazel Reddon

Gwen Kruger and John-Paul Langbroek at the special Orana morning tea
Monty Shoesmith and Phyllis Cairns with Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington
Deputy Opposition Leader John-Paul Langbroek with Marlene Bates, Barbara Williams and Josie Champney

* * *

State Executive

The LNP State Executive took the opportunity of the State Council Meeting to get together at the Kingaroy DAFF Centre, opposite the airport, for a meeting and lunch.

Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg and newly elected State President Gary Spence with other members of the State Executive in Kingaroy

* * *

Visiting Local Businesses

After visiting Orana, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington escorted Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg and Deputy Opposition Leader and Shadow Treasurer John-Paul Langbroek on a visit to Kingaroy business Proteco, where owner Josh Gadischke explained cold-pressed oils and the oil refining process.

Mrs Frecklington and Mr Langbroek then continued on to the Peanut Company of Australia where PCA CEO John Howard took them on a tour through the processing plant and provided a preview of a new product range about to be launched by PCA.

PCA CEO John Howard, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, John-Paul Langbroek and PCA General Manager (Operations) Steve Magnussen
Steve Magnussen explains the colour sorting process to John-Paul Langbroek
John-Paul Langbroek, Deb Frecklington and Lawrence Springborg with Josh Gadischke, from Proteco (Photo: Nanango Electorate Office)

* * *

At Ringsfield House

An informal get-together to allow local LNP party members to mingle with the visiting politicians was held at Ringsfield House in Nanango.

South Burnett Branch president Tony Pantlin, LNP candidate for Maranoa David Littleproud, Member for Nanango Deb Frecklington, Opposition Leader Lawrence Springborg, Nanango Historical Society president Ros Gregor and Shadow Treasurer John-Paul Langbroek (Photo: Clive Lowe Photography)
Ros Gregor showed David Littleproud and the other visiting LNP politicians around the historic Ringsfield House (Photo: Clive Lowe Photography)

Pauline Reed, Jacqui Irwin, Jackie Allery and Rhonda Kefford (Photo: Clive Lowe)

Anitta and Leanne Stallwood were selling raffle tickets (Photo: Clive Lowe)
LNP candidate David Littleproud with John Allery, Ray Patroni, Brett Irwin and Dean Cullen
(Photo: Clive Lowe Photography)

 

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