Peter Wellington, currently the Speaker of the House in the Qld Parliament. Ex copper, also practised as a Solicitor. Contemporay of mine, and my local independant Member.
He has ALP leanings, but also courted PUP.
The bloke reads political tea leaves very well. Very well.
Link.There is no doubt he would have held his seat of Nicklin in the next election, but after the election, there is no way he would have been able to retain the Speakership.
So....he's not gonna run. Oh dear. Does anyone suspect it may have anything to do with the Parliamentary Pension he gets to pocket on departure.
As Speaker, he gets $???????. As a mere Member, he would be paid $151,425.00 pa.
Now, I really don't know, but I reckon the Parliamentary Pension scheme is based on what you were earning when you leave the Parliament.
Wellington, as Speaker, is on much more than a mere Member (stuffed if I can find the amount) so the bugger is cutting and running, going out on the Speaker's salary, not a mere Member's.
Cynical much, or am I over-reading that?