North Qld Labor MP charged with assault
Queensland Labor MP Les Walker has been stood down from his parliamentary roles after being charged with assault in Townsville.
Mr Walker has been charged with common assault after an altercation with a 39-year-old man at a restaurant on Palmer St on Friday night.
The Mundingburra MP is due to appear in court on August 16 and has been banned from the city's Safe Night Precinct until August 11.
It's the second time this year the first-term MP has been involved in a scrap on a night out in Townsville after he was knocked out on his birthday in January.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has moved to punish the wayward Labor MP, who promised to behave himself after the last altercation.
She has stood Mr Walker down from his position on the Transport and Resources Committee and from his role as a Temporary Speaker.
"I expect all of my MPs to meet the highest standards," Ms Palaszczuk said in a statement.
"I am angry that I have had to repeat this to Les.
"Regardless of what has occurred and who is at fault, Les has failed in his promise to me not to be placed in circumstances where those standards can be questioned.
"As a result, he has agreed to stand down from his role on the Transport and Resources Committee and from his role as a Temporary Speaker.
"I am deeply disappointed.
Mr Walker had previously apologised for getting himself knocked out in a pub fight in January and promised not to get up to anymore mischief.
He was flattened during a fight with two younger men while celebrating his 56th birthday at Townsville's Mad Cow Tavern about 1am on January 16.
Police issued the three men with public nuisance notices and banned them from the city's Safe Night Precinct for 10 days.
At the time Mr Walker said he was unable to comment on what happened before he was knocked out because he can't remember.
"I was knocked unconscious. I just can't recall. I sustained a head injury," Mr Walker told reporters.
He also said he had learned from the incident and wouldn't be out that late in the future.
"It won't happen again," he said.
Mr Walker, a former corrections officer, was elected to replace retiring Disability Services Minister Coralee O'Rourke at the November state election.
He is due to appear in Townsville Magistrates Court on August 16.
