Party officials block Andrew Laming’s preselection bid

Nominations had already closed for Bowman, with Gold Coast businesswoman Fran Ward the only other candidate aside from Mr Laming.

The field widened to three candidates after party headquarters voted last month to reopen preselection.

Ms Ward, who is chair of the LNP’s small business policy committee, will jockey for the party’s endorsement alongside Henry Pike who ran as the local candidate at the Queensland state election and the party’s honorary legal adviser Maggie Forrest.

Mr Laming holds Bowman with a 10.24 per cent margin and has served in the Australian Parliament since 2004.

He remains in the Coalition party room and is expected to return to work when Parliament sits in the second week in May when the federal budget will be…