Bligh ready to ditch 'Slugger" Purcell ...
Former Minister Purcell must have thought he was out of the woods with his apology leading to the dropping of all criminal charges.
Maybe not ...
Excerpt from the Courier Mail:
Purcell's future in balance
16 February 2008
The political career of Pat Purcell is hanging by a thread after Premier Anna Bligh backed away from her staunch defence of the veteran Labor MP.
After initially insisting Mr Purcell's fate would be in the hands of voters in his Bulimba electorate, Ms Bligh yesterday demanded he consider his future.
Mr Purcell admitted on Thursday to assaulting public servants Eddie Bennet and Stephen Young last year when he was emergency services minister.
The admission came after a host of earlier denials, claims he withdrew from Cabinet for "personal reasons" and the entering of a not guilty plea in the assault court case.
Ms Bligh said she had told Mr Purcell that his behaviour was unacceptable and with the case resolved through mediation he should now consider his position.
"I would expect Mr Purcell would take the opportunity to consider his future," she said.
...
See - Purcell - career in the balance.
posted by Concerned Ratepayer at 6:57 AM
5 Comments:
Sunday Mail:
Pat Purcell to quit
17 February 2008
Disgraced former State Government minister Pat Purcell is quitting politics.
Mr Purcell, who admitted on Thursday that he assaulted two senior public servants last year when he was Emergency Services minister, will step down before the next election.
The Member for Bulimba told The Sunday Mail late yesterday that he will immediately resign from the Parliamentary Travel Safe Committee.
Sources said Premier Anna Bligh yesterday ordered Mr Purcell, 60, to fall on his sword. After initially insisting Mr Purcell's fate would be in the hands of voters in his inner Brisbane seat, Ms Bligh on Friday demanded that he consider his future.
She took it a step further yesterday and told him he had no choice but to resign.
"Following discussions with the Premier Anna Bligh this afternoon I have made the decision not to contest the seat of Bulimba at the next election," Mr Purcell said.
"I don't want to let the people of Bulimba down as they were good enough to elect me again at the last election and have been very supportive at this difficult time.
"I will do my best by continuing to work extremely hard as the local MP, especially on the delivery of affordable housing and improvements at local schools."
Mr Purcell was first elected to Parliament in September 1992 and was a controversial appointment to Cabinet in July 2005.
Then premier Peter Beattie was undermined by a snub from his own faction, which rejected his preferred Cabinet replacement for former treasurer Terry Mackenroth and backed Mr Purcell.
He took over the Emergency Services portfolio and retained it when Labor won power again in 2006.
Mr Purcell was a popular figure in Cabinet, although some Government insiders said the former union official was out of his depth as a minister.
He sensationally quit as minister last July after two senior Emergency Services staff complained he had hit them during a workplace confrontation at the Government's Executive Building in George Street.
Mr Purcell denied the assault.
"I gave them a verbal bollocking . . . I don't go around belting people," he said.
Mr Beattie said Mr Purcell's departure was for "personal reasons" but later confirmed the allegations of assault – that the minister had slapped the two bureaucrats around the head.
The matter was referred to the Crime and Misconduct Commission and Mr Purcell was later charged with common assault. He pleaded not guilty when he appeared in court in October.
Mr Purcell continued to deny hitting the men until last week, when in a carefully worded statement he confirmed the slap attack on Eddie Bennet and Stephen Young. The charges were dropped after mediation.
The long-serving MP apologised to both men over the "unprovoked and inappropriate" attack, but denied having lied about the incident.
He dug his heels in last week and refused to quit politics.
But public pressure on Ms Bligh forced a change of course.
11:42 PM, February 16, 2008
News.com.au
Bligh welcomes Purcell resignation
17 February 2008
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh has welcomed the resignation of former minister Pat Purcell, saying he has done the right thing by himself and the Labor Party.
Mr Purcell announced his resignation from politics this morning after earlier admitting to assaulting two of his staff last year when he was emergency services minister.
The member for Bulimba said he would quit before the next election, having being asked to "consider his future'' by Ms Bligh on Thursday.
"When the legal process was completed on Thursday, I asked Mr Purcell to consider his future,'' Ms Bligh said.
"I certainly indicated that it would be, I think, very difficult for the Labor Party to select him.
"He said he needed time to do that himself, and a day and a bit later he's made the right decision.''
Ms Bligh refused to comment on criticisms she should have acted sooner on the matter, instead praising Mr Purcell for his decision.
"It is a tough thing to decide, and frankly, I don't know what more people can ask of him.''
She rejected claims the incident would have negative consequences for the party.
1:10 PM, February 17, 2008
It's hardly a resignation if he's not going until the next election. it's a retirement - and no doubt Anna will parachute a mate into the safe seat.
1:41 PM, February 17, 2008
Brisbane Times:
Calls for Bligh to kick Purcell out of party
February 17, 2008
Queensland Premier Anna Bligh should sack or disendorse disgraced former minister Pat Purcell instead of allowing him to quit politics before the next election, the state opposition says.
Mr Purcell, who last week admitted to slapping two senior bureaucrats last year when he was emergency services minister, has announced he will step down before the next election.
The member for Bulimba issued a statement saying he decided not to contest his Brisbane-based seat following discussions with Ms Bligh.
He will also resign from the parliamentary Travelsafe Committee.
Ms Bligh, who initially insisted Mr Purcell's fate would be in the hands of voters, today said the 60-year-old had "done the right thing".
But deputy Nationals leader Fiona Simpson said Mr Purcell's announcement was not good enough, and Ms Bligh needed to take more action against the former union official.
"What started off with a question mark over Purcell has ended with a question mark over Anna Bligh," Ms Simpson said.
"If Anna Bligh wants to demonstrate that she is a leader for all of Queensland and not just her mates, she needs to do more than allow a self-confessed bully to stay in the Labor party, and in the parliament."
Ms Simpson said the premier had promised a "high standard" of her MPs when she took over as premier last September.
"If the Labor party under Anna Bligh's leadership, which is supposed to be looking after workers, will tolerate ministers or members of public service thumping public servants, then something is wrong with their standards," Ms Simpson said.
Mr Purcell sensationally quit as minister last July after two senior Emergency Services staff complained he had struck them across the back of the head with an open palm during a confrontation at the government's Executive Building in George Street, Brisbane.
Mr Purcell on Thursday apologised to the staffers after originally denying the assault.
2:48 PM, February 17, 2008
Courier Mail:
Purcell waiting on $200,000
February 17, 2008
DISGRACED former minister Pat Purcell is set to pocket $200,000 for working another 18 months under Premier Anna Bligh's latest plan to dump him from politics.
Ms Bligh is under intense pressure over her handling of the scandal since pledging support for Mr Purcell last Thursday after he apologised for hitting two staff members and lying about it. Following a public outcry, Ms Bligh told Mr Purcell over the weekend to quit at the next state election, which may be as far away as September 2009.
He will only resign immediately from the Travelsafe Committee, a $7583-a-year posting that was questioned recently, given he had the worst driving record in Cabinet last year.
11:54 PM, February 17, 2008
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