source : the age
Jimmy Sullivan, the independent member for Stafford in Brisbane’s north, has been found dead less than a year after he was expelled from the Labor Party amid highly publicised personal battles.
Police said they attended the scene of a sudden death at Stafford about 10.15pm on Thursday, and were treating it as non-suspicious. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The 44-year-old Sullivan, first elected in 2020 to the seat in Queensland’s parliament that his father had once held, moved to the crossbench in May 2025 after he was expelled from Labor.
The Labor caucus voted to oust the second-term member following a motion from Opposition Leader Steven Miles, after months of speculation over Sullivan’s future.
The MP took leave from parliament after an incident at his home on October 27, 2024, the evening that Labor, led by Miles, lost the state election to the LNP.
He was not charged with any offence, but LNP government ministers later used parliamentary privilege to accuse Sullivan of being subject to a domestic complaint to police.
Miles released a short statement on Friday morning, saying: “Our thoughts are with Jimmy’s family, friends and community this morning as we all process this news.”
On his return to parliament in February 2025, Sullivan thanked his wife and family and said he had been working hard in the community since the election.
He also thanked Labor’s leadership “for giving me the time and space to address my health issues” and medical professionals at the Brisbane Private Hospital.
“With their help, I am a better dad and a better husband,” he said.
Within months, he was removed from the Labor Party, ostensibly for breaches of a return-to-work plan, but kept his seat in parliament.
While the plan has not been made public, it is reported to have included conditions around ongoing treatment for alcohol and mental health issues and a promise not to drink at work-related events.
Deputy Premier Jarrod Bleijie launched a parliamentary debate calling for Sullivan’s resignation.
In an emotional response, Sullivan said the election-night incident did not involve violence and the police matter was “dismissed without reason”.
“I swore. That is the basis of what those matters were about. That is why my legal team says that they have never seen a matter dismissed so quickly,” Sullivan said.
He added that at the time he had been suffering with post-traumatic stress disorder after the birth of his second daughter – having earlier lost his first daughter, who was stillborn.
Premier David Crisafulli released a statement on Friday morning saying Queenslanders would be shocked at the news.
“On behalf of all Queenslanders, we extend our heartfelt condolences to his family during this difficult time,” Crisafulli said.
Parliamentary Speaker Pat Weir told the ABC on Friday he had met with Sullivan on several occasions and spoken about his PTSD and what appeared to be addiction issues.
Weir said he suggested medical advice and recommended specialists with whom Sullivan made appointments – which the pair spoke about as recently as last week and were due to again on Friday.
“I really feel for his family,” Weir, the LNP member for Condamine, said.
Sullivan’s website described him as a local “through and through”, with his parents also still living in their family home in the suburb where Sullivan and his wife Carolyn were raising their family.
He was a qualified lawyer and former judge’s associate in the District Court of Queensland, working across government and law in Brisbane, Canberra and in the office of a Democratic US senator.
Sullivan was chief of staff to former state attorney-general Yvette D’Ath before his election to parliament.
His father, Terry Sullivan, was a former teacher who also served as a Labor MP from 1991 until his decision not to recontest Stafford in 2006.
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Matt Dennien is a reporter at Brisbane Times covering state politics and the public service. He has previously worked for newspapers in Tasmania and Brisbane community radio station 4ZZZ. Contact him securely on Signal @mattdennien.15Connect via email.
