THE Alexandra Hills double fatality has turned into a political bun fight, with Liberal Bowman MP Andrew Laming organising a community forum for February 12 which has been rejected by Capalaba Labor MP Don Brown.
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Mr Brown said the forum agenda had been organised by Mr Laming's office under the guise of the Redlands Local Drug Action Team and no state MPs had been consulted beforehand.
He said Labor members would not attend
"It's a stitch-up and the agenda is designed to cause more division in our community.
"I am disgusted that it has taken a week for Mr Laming and the LNP to play divisive politics over this tragedy," he said.
Mr Laming denied it was divisive politics.
Originally scheduled for this Sunday, the forum hosted by Redlands Local Drug Action Team will discuss youth justice, substance misuse, rehabilitation, incarceration and relapse.
Mr Laming urged Mr Brown to reconsider.
He said hundreds of locals had called for action in the wake of the Australia Day tragedy.
"It is more important that Redland leaders are in the same room, and working respectfully together, because right now Redlands wants unity," he said.
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The Cage Youth Foundation Linda Grieve director said the non-profit organisation was the agency for Redlands Local Drug Action Team and had been working with Mr Laming's office to organise the forum.
"This is not political. It's not what it's about. It's about bringing the community together to discuss issues and also provide support," she said.
Mr Brown said he was happy to meet with community members to discuss issues, however it was no time to play politics.
The forum will be held at the Alexandra Hills AFL Club on February 12 at 5pm with guests from the Law Society, the Police Union, state schools, local criminal lawyers, The Cage, the Australian Drug Foundation, drug testers and employment service providers.
Note: In our printed edition of Wednesday February 3, we ran an article on page 5 from Mr Laming's office, saying the drug action team forum was on Sunday, February 7. The date was changed after the paper went to press.
