Libs likely to stay solo

Posted by on May 7, 2008, 6:22pm, 234 views

The Queensland Liberals have indicated they will not be in a position to merge with the Nationals or form a new party before the next state election.

That would effectively kill Lawrence Springborg’s radical idea.

AAP today reports a senior Queensland Liberals figure saying it is not possible for his party to merge with the Nationals in time for the next state election.

The Queensland Liberals state council will meet in Brisbane on Friday to discuss the issue of a new, united conservative party. The Liberals are said to be bitterly divided about the issue.

A senior Liberal Party source told AAP a merger could not go ahead this year – when the preselection of state election candidates is due to go ahead – because it was too late to change the Liberal Party’s constitution.

The party veteran said he had consulted an expert in the party’s constitution.

“If you are going to change the constitution of the Liberal Party then form me a constitutional committee,” the source said.

“To change the constitution of the Liberal Party you need a vote of 75 per cent of the convention and you’ve got to give proper notice of it.

“There’s been no notice for this convention (to start on May 30). They haven’t got enough time – it’s not possible.”

The source said he was not aware of any notice of motion to change the constitution going to this Friday’s meeting and believed many party members would be angry if it did.

“People in the Liberal Party are getting sick of this railroading going on,” he said.

“We won’t be part of any Pineapple Party that (Nationals leader) Lawrence Springborg dreams up in his sleep.”

Comment: This just illustrates how unlikely the whole concept is to succeed. Instead of uniting non-Labor politics it is causing division.

PS: Queensland Nationals MP David Gibson commented on my previous post.

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