Redlands LNP MP Peter Dowling's political career may have plonked, with his branch members overwhelmingly voting no to his standing as their candidate in the coming election.
Mr Dowling survived the LNP state executive vetting process by a reported one vote earlier this month, but was unable to stage a repeat performance in front of his local state electoral council members. The vote was confidential, but it is understood fewer than 40 of the 93 branch members who attended voted for Mr Dowling to remain in the ballot.
The former ethics committee chair gained international notoriety when photos he sexted his mistress, of his penis draped in a red-wine glass, were made public. He was quickly nicknamed "Plonker" and the moniker has followed him since last year.
Leaving the room after the firm no vote, with his wife Helen steadfastly by his side, Mr Dowling was visibly upset.
"I have invested a lot of time and effort into my community, absolutely, and there is still a great deal of work to be done, but the LNP will deliver for this community," he said.
He could not say what his next step would be and seemed to stop himself from saying he would go home to enjoy a quiet drink.
"I have just been declined," he said.
"So how about I go home and have a no comment and enjoy a quiet, err ... actually, I have a function tonight so I'll go out and attend the business awards association as the LNP member for Redlands."
Mrs Dowling told the media she still loved her husband, despite his public indiscretion.
"There would be very few people here that actually could say they are perfect," she said.
"He may not be perfect, but he is effective."
The couple were not without their supporters - a group of people, wearing "I am backing Peter" T-shirts from the 2012 election campaign, stood outside the hall where the vote was to take place, but were understood not to be voting members of the local branch.
But others were not so understanding.
Many branch members left the meeting saying Mr Dowling should not have sought to be re-selected as the candidate, thereby forcing their hand.
One member, Helen McAllister, said her husband resigned from the party when Mr Dowling survived the executive vetting process.
"I am so, so determined that the LNP that is doing a great job is represented by good members," she said.
"... We just have to maintain for our youth, for our grandchildren, we have to have standards and values."
But Mr Dowling would not say whether he regretted his past actions.
"I am an effective member for Redlands and I have the support of the LNP team and I will continue to do that role until the next election," he said.
"... I have still been doing my job. I am the state member for Redlands and I will continue to be part of the Campbell Newman LNP team delivering for Queensland. We've got an awful lot of mess to clean up thanks to 20 years of Labor."
He ruled out standing as an independent, which he labelled as "a waste of space with one exception" but would not say whether he would attempt to stand as a candidate in the next vote.
But he may not be able to, with party president Bruce McIver saying the branch had spoken.
"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," he said.
Preselections have reopened in the seat. Redlands is proving to be the second headache for the LNP executive, after Moggill branch members voted no to the candidate they were presented with after the party headquarters disallowed sitting member and former minister Bruce Flegg from re-contesting the seat he has held for the past decade. A date for the next election is still to be set.
