NATIONAL party deputy-leader Barnaby Joyce says the executive decision to block Queensland Liberal MP Ian Macfarlane’s defection to the Nationals highlights a city-centric political agenda that denies the will of grassroots country voters.
Mr Macfarlane’s switch from the Liberals to the Nationals was supported by members of his Groom federal divisional council who voted 102 for and 35 against at a meeting in Toowoomba over the weekend.
But, as reported by FarmOnline, the LNP executive’s meeting in Brisbane on Monday voted against the move and in doing so averted a potential political crisis for Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
LNP president Gary Spence said the party’s best interests and a broader political agenda had to be considered during the vote – not just the will of the Groom council - including the federal Coalition’s stability, heading into an election year in 2016.
Mr Spence said Mr Macfarlane had been a tremendous servant of Queensland and Australian people over many years and acknowledged his future contribution in parliament, which he hoped would continue.
“Ian went about it the way that was appropriate for Ian - but at the end of the day the LNP had to consider what was best for not only the LNP but also for Queensland and the Australian federal government,” he said.
Mr Macfarlane’s potential move to the Nationals was unveiled on the final parliamentary sitting day for 2015, sparking a bitter response from his Liberal colleagues given it raised the possibility of forced re-entry into federal cabinet.
Mr Macfarlane backed Mr Turnbull when he took over from Tony Abbott as Prime Minister in mid-September but was angered at being left out of the new-look cabinet despite the new PM’s claim the Queensland MP was a good friend.
Speaking to ABC Radio, Mr Joyce said Mr Macfarlane‘s move to the Nationals was voted down by the narrowest of margins by the Queensland LNP and “If one person had of changed their vote it would have been tied”.
“One would think that with Queensland getting better representation those who voted against it would have bared that in mind,” he said.
“I’ll let those who voted against Queensland getting better representation speak for themselves.”
Mr Joyce said the people of Groom overwhelmingly endorsed the move because they understood that the “greater urbanisation of Australian politics” meant regional politicians had less opportunity for advancement.
He said “both in fact and by analysis” the nation's future senior office holders could come from the major cities, “predominantly Sydney then Melbourne”.
Mr Joyce cited the example of a previous Coalition Prime Minister coming from Sydney and then being followed by two more from Sydney and the last Treasurer also replaced by an MP from Sydney.
“There's nothing startling about that it’s just the numbers and the reality of politics,” he said.
“John Howard said politics is brutally governed by the rules of arithmetic.”
Liberals track record must be considered
Mr Joyce also cited the example of Victorian Liberal Julian McGauran changing from the Nationals to the Liberals in 2006 – after being recruited by former Liberal Treasurer Peter Costello – which resulted in an immediate ministerial demotion of a Queensland representative.
“If you’re looking for a precedent no better one can be found than John Winston Howard,” he said.
Mr Joyce said Mr Macfarlane was given no guarantee of a ministry promotion for joining the Nationals and any such decision would have been based on merit.
He said the Nationals made no attempt to “cultivate” Mr Macfarlane’s defection and his move was of his own volition.
“I think he did it for the appropriate reasons and that was endorsed by his federal electoral council which said politics is becoming vastly more urbanised and to get proper representation in regional areas and in the highest office you have to be in a party with other people from regional areas and that’s the National party which is what it was designed for,” he said.
Groom is nominated as a Liberal electorate under the agreement between the two parties which are a merged entity in Queensland.
At the time of defecting, Mr McGauran declared the National Party had no future and should merge in Victoria with the Liberals - but Mr Joyce said the Liberal Senator was bitter and his defection did not reflect on the National Party.
“It's a little bit peculiar when any member of any family spends what's left of their political life in bitter testament about an organisation that's been part of the Australian democratic process since 1913,” he said at that time.
The potential move has also generated intense speculation about the National party’s future leadership and leader Warren Truss potentially retiring in March next year to make way for Mr Joyce with a succession plan mooted that involved Mr Macfarlane’s ascent to cabinet.
Yesterday, Mr Macfarlane said he was disappointed with the LNP executive’s decision and they would now have to answer to the members in Groom who “voted overwhelmingly to support my change of party room in Canberra”.
He said his local divisional members had accepted his view that changing party rooms was the best way to represent their interests but rejected an assertion he’d miscalculated the plan.
Mr Macfarlane said he would now consider his future options after speaking to family over the Christmas period but wasn’t ready to retire from working yet and as a long-serving resources minister could pursue a future in that sector.
