“A new party is the only option that offers the conservative side of politics more than what we already have. If we are purely just putting the Liberals with the Nationals, or the Nationals with the Liberals, and calling it a merger and imagining this will miraculously collect more numbers than already exist in the two current entities or will engender more support when everything is the same, including the name, then I think we might be deluding ourselves.
“We have to accept the reality that the product we have on political sale is not selling in Queensland and we must be diligent enough and honest enough to reconstruct our product from the bottom up.
“It is foolish in the extreme, bordering on conceit, to make a minor change and expect a major difference in the current political environment. What this is hoping for is that time elapsed will be the catalyst for change. Maybe this will be the case but the question is will you also have elapsed before that political change occurs?
“A new party has the ability to not only collect former National and Liberal members but to declare to Queensland that there is manifestly a change, which we want others to be part of as well, on equal terms in driving the direction of a new platform, new policies and a new approach to conservative politics in our state.
“Queensland has the resourcefulness and the entrepreneurial flair to go forward with something that is not only good for Queensland but, ultimately, will be good for our nation.
“The debate must happen now, it must be open to all and positions must be placed clearly in the open so the transparency of the motivations of an argument can be judged by all those the decisions will affect.
“All key players must start with an honest articulation of their objectives, knowing that in the end their true motivations will be fleshed out in any case.
“If, after an honest and transparent debate, the new party idea is to fail then we have lost nothing because we will return to where we currently are. I strongly believe a minimalist merger proposition will deliver nothing more than a minimalist outcome, offering nothing more to the voter than the alternatives available now.
Currently, the Nationals can go out and join the Liberals which, experience shows, can be done quite easily. I don’t know of anyone being knocked back federally, or at a State level but, unfortunately, I don’t think this has ever changed the voters' perceptions about the party being left or the party being joined. Alternatively, the Liberals could join the Nationals which, to be honest, I realise isn’t going to happen.
“No political party or structure is endowed by God as immutable over time. All things must flex and morph to conditions that are apparent if they are to survive. The conservative side of politics should be tactically astute enough in this political nadir to question the way we do business otherwise this is truly wasted time in Opposition.
“In reorganising the way we do business, it is crucial to look at the political product we are selling, why people are not buying it, how we can change and how we can let them know we have changed. For me, all these things point to the hard work and dynamism required in the creation of a new conservative party.
“Some will be excited by the prospects to be a part of it and lead, others may find more comfort with the status quo, or a slight variation thereof, which experience has proved is a recipe for ongoing Opposition."
Ends