REDLANDS MP Peter Dowling has been ditched by LNP branch members leaving the seat of Redlands open for new nominations.
Mr Dowling lost 50 to 43 with not all of the branch’s 132 members turning up for today’s ballot.
Party president Bruce McIver, who attended the ballot along with 14 other party executives, said he was not surprised with the result and knew members had concerns with Mr Dowling.
Mr Dowling made headlines last year taking photos of his penis in a glass of red wine which he sent to his mistress.
Mr McIver said he was unaware of any "strong" candidates for the seat but said they had 10 days to put forward their nominations.
He said the party state executive may reject Mr Dowling’s nomination if he attempted to reapply.
“The membership have made a call here today on this particular member, on this particular set of issues and I’d say the state executive would have to take that into consideration if Mr Dowling chose to reapply,’’ Mr McIver said.
Before the vote, Mr McIver said the state council still had overriding powers to change any decision but if Mr Dowling was selected he would support the branch decision.
The party president also told members he was not there to judge Mr Dowling's morals but to weigh up whether Mr Dowling would win the seat.
Mr Dowling was asked six questions from members including whether he would run as an independent if he failed pre-selection, to which he said "no".
He also told members he had the full support of premier Campbell Newman and had $35,000 in an election campaign fund.
Mr Dowling, who has held the seat since 2009, also told members he was supporting a bridge to Russell Island because it was necessary.
Cleveland MP Mark Robinson, who lives in Mr Dowling's electorate, was at the ballot with his wife Julie.
Mr Robinson said his wife was not going to run for the seat.
Mr Robinson's office manager, Mark Neville, who was at the ballot, was rejected by the state executive as a potential candidate last month.
Mr Dowling told the members he had to contend with "garbage" some party members had "thrown" at him, including doing a "ring around" to shore up numbers against him in the past week.
After the vote, Mr Dowling said he would not run as an independent and avoided saying whether he would renominate for the seat or if he regretted his actions.
“I have just been declined, so how about I go home and have a no comment and enjoy a quiet, eh, actually I have a function tonight so I’ll go out and attend the business awards as the LNP member for Redlands,’’ he said.
Branch members leaving the ballot had mixed reactions with some saying they were surprised with the result while others, including LNP Stalwart Helen McAllister, said she was glad he had been dumped.
"This is a wonderful day, the LNP has listened to its members who will not tolerate this behaviour and the demeaning of women," Ms McAllister said.
Today's vote required a majority, unlike a party decision on October 3, where it was enough for Mr Dowling to proceed for pre-selection with only votes from seven of the LNP’s 28 executive members.
Inside the closed meeting, Mr McIver addressed the branch’s members before Mr Dowling and the branch chairman Lance Hewlett, Mr Dowling's brother-in-law.
Mr Dowling listed the state government-driven Weinam Creek ferry terminal development as one of his achievements during the last term.
The seat has been the focus of claims of branch stacking and a rift between Mr Dowling’s faction and that of older, more conservative, members.
The ballot was held in the wake of Moggill branch members voting against the party executive decision to ditch sitting member Bruce Flegg and run Dr Christian Rowan in the western suburbs seat.
That vote forced the party to reopen pre-selection for the seat, for which Dr Flegg said he would renominate.