A division of the Liberal Party of Australia
TO MERGE OR NOT TO MERGE?
On the weekend, I sat through every hour of the two day Liberal Party Conference which principally dealt with the proposed merger in Queensland of the Liberal Party and the National Party.
My impressions were that the merger had very broad based support and goodwill from the Party Membership although, as always, the devil is in the detail. But I was surprised by the unanimity of the general approach.
As I remarked in my address to the Convention, in the last five or six Federal and State elections we have run to each election with one single leader, and one set of policies.
Some say that there are irreconcilable policy differences between the Liberals and the Nationals and cite the recent example of the Single Desk Wheat legislation. But already in the Liberal Party, there are very diametrically opposed views on this issue which will be accommodated. And as you know, in the Liberal Party members can cross the floor if they believe that the Party is heading in the wrong direction.
Many people currently in the Parliamentary Liberal Party have far more ‘right wing’ views, than many members of the current Parliamentary National Party. A number of prominent National Party members supported the Republican proposal, and indeed many National Party members have a more liberal view than many Liberals on some of the social conscience issues that have come before the Federal Parliament in recent years.
As Bob Menzies always said, the Liberal Party is a broad church and I believe the policy approaches of both parties can be accommodated in a single new entity.
Some people were concerned that the formation of a single party in Queensland would result in a rump rural Party, around Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and the old One Nation Party. In my view, that grouping is already in existence and the formation of a new Party will in no way exacerbate that situation.
There is a lot of work for both parties to do between now and the proposed Constitutional Convention at the end of July. It will require a great deal of good will and support from members of both parties to their leadership negotiating teams. But after the weekend, I am hopeful a sensible and mutually acceptable vision can be negotiated, that will, for the first time in a long time, put real pressure on the incompetent State Labor regime.
The principles and philosophies of fairness, justice, the individual, self reliance and mutual obligation that are so dear to all Liberals will continue in the new Party. I am confident no former National Party member would have any objection to these principles and philosophies
NEW PRESIDENT
The Liberal Party State Convention at the weekend overwhelming elected Mal Brough and his team to lead the Liberal Party into the future.
Mr Brough’s leadership will attract people into the party, and will give all Liberals and Nationals confidence that we can take on the entrenched Labor regime. Mr Brough’s election is a sign that members are angry with the factionalism that has been evident in recent years and which has made it difficult for the Party to operate effectively.
Mal Brough’s election starts a new era for non-Labor politics in Queensland.
AT ESTIMATES COMMITTEE
The past week of Senate Estimates Committees has highlighted that the Labor Government has few plans administering an economy like Australia’s.
Ministers at the Estimates table have been incapable of explaining what their promises meant and how they are to be implemented, and this has left public servants angry, leaderless and embarrassed by their inability to get from the Government any direction of what they had in mind prior to the election.
PETROL PRICES
Petrol pricing is an example of this.
After telling the Australian public before the election that they would fix petrol prices, we have seen prices soar under Rudd’s leadership.
The Labor Party have no real concept of what Fuel Watch is all about. The economics are just stupid and the advice of the four senior Economic Departments of government and the Minister for Resources and Energy, has been ignored by Kevin Rudd. He is determined to use spin, not to correct the problems, but to divert people’s attention from the problems that he has failed to address.
NORTHERN AUSTRALIA
Do you realise that over two thirds of Australia’s fresh water falls and lies in Northern Australia?
It is therefore clear to understand that in the future with a changing climate Northern Australia will be the food bowl not only of Australia, but of Asia as well.
That is why that it is so important that work be done to identify good and suitable areas of land that could be converted into agricultural production and to allocate water resources sustainably.
The ecological disaster in the Murray Basin area is very telling example of why we need to do it correctly.
That is why the Howard Government had set up the Northern Land and Water Taskforce.
The Labor Party has said it will continue the work of the Taskforce, but in the six months since the election, they have not lifted a finger to advance this work.
Estimates Committee questioning, revealed that the much vaunted Office of Northern Development is simply a re-badging of two existing offices of the Department of Infrastructure, Transport Regional Development and Local Government that currently exist in Townsville and Darwin.
TOWNSVILLE CITY COUNCIL
The new City Council in Townsville is quickly discovering how Labor simply cannot manage finances.
After 33 years in charge, the Labor Party has run the cities finances into significant debt and have hidden it from the public by a clever political and media spin. The financial position of the City Council will mean tough times ahead for the new Council administration.
The Townsville City Council is another example of why we cannot trust Labor with money.
LET ME KNOW
If there are issues that you believe the Federal Opposition should be investigating, please do not hesitate to drop me a note.
As a Senator, the whole of the State is my constituency, and I am happy to help in any way possible.
I also welcome your feedback, positive or negative, on any of the issues raised in this online newsletter.
Ian Macdonald
Liberal Senator for Queensland
Opposition Spokesman on Northern Australia
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