UPDATED: FORMER Industry Minister and Queensland Liberal MP Ian Macfarlane has joined the National party.
Mr Macfarlane confirmed he was moving into the Nationals’ party room when speaking to media in Canberra this afternoon.
“Obviously this doesn’t mean I’m changing political parties - we are Liberal/Nationals in Queensland, we do not find a distinction,” he said.
“It’s a decision I’ve arrived at on the basis that I’m keen to ensure that regional Queensland and regional Australia continues to be well represented.”
Mr Macfarlane said he’d represented regional Australia for nearly 31 years and his level of experience was second only to Nationals' Leader and Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss.
He said if a ministry position became available due to the National party’s increased party-room numbers, he would be considered on his merits along with other National party members.
Mr Macfarlane said the process of his switch to the Nationals started “a very long time ago” and followed a “quite disciplined path” with initial talks to Mr Truss and then Nationals’ Deputy Leader and federal Agriculture and Water Resources Minister Barnaby Joyce.
He said he also spoke to federal National party president Larry Anthony and LNP president Gary Spence.
The support of those key people was “very much part of me making this decision” he said.
“I’m stepping across to the National party because I see myself as offering a depth of experience that they will need,” he said.
Mr Macfarlane said he grew up in National party “territory” and could have gone either way when he first entered politics.
He said his Queensland seat contained three National party members in State parliament.
Mr Macfarlane said he was disappointed at the time of losing his cabinet post not to have an opportunity to serve under Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister but respected the decision.
“I’m a huge fan of Malcolm’s we’ve worked together for a long time and no one was more delighted than me to see him become Prime Minister,” he said.
“If the opportunity comes with the National party to serve in his ministry then I’ll relish it.
“It’s actually a huge vote of confidence for Malcolm Turnbull because the alternative was to leave parliament.
“I want to serve under Warren Truss and Malcolm Turnbull - I think they’re a great team.
“I enjoy federal politics and representing the people of regional Queensland.
“You can take the boy out of the bush but you can’t take the bush out of the boy.”
Mr Macfarlane said he had a ”forthright” discussion with Mr Turnbull yesterday.
Mr Macfarlane's move increases the Nationals' number of federal members to 22 and is likely to have ramifications on Mr Joyce’s future leadership aspirations.
Mr Macfarlane was dumped from the cabinet when Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister in September.
At the time, Mr Turnbull said Mr Macfarlane was one of his “very, very best friends” in the federal parliament and the Liberal MP had allowed the new Prime Minister to decide his fate in the ministry.
Mr Macfarlane was first elected to the Queensland electorate of Groom in 1998 and has strong links to farming and regional communities.
Mr Truss said his party had met today and discussed Mr Macfarlane’s interest in moving to National’s party room.
He said if that approach was made Nationals’ members would be receptive and welcome Mr Macfarlane’s presence and potential contribution as a committed representative of regional Australia, like other National party members.
But Mr Truss said the next stages of the process were actually in the hands of the LNP in Queensland, including Mr Macfarlane’s need to consult with his own divisional council.
“We’d await the outcome of those discussions but we would welcome his presence in our party room and are open to the proposal for him to be part of the Nationals’ party room,” he said.
Mr Truss said the Coalition agreement talked about sharing ministerial responsibilities between the Liberals and Nationals, based on numbers (of elected representatives).
He said if the Nationals had extra numbers it would strengthen their ministerial entitlements and he would expect those aspects of the Coalition agreement to be honoured.
Addressing speculation that another Queensland Liberal MP Scott Buchholz would also be joining the Nationals, Mr Truss said he’d not had any discussions with Mr Buchholz about whether he would follow Mr Macfarlane into the Nationals’ party room.
But he said Mr Buchholz would be welcomed – if he made the switch - which was “a matter entirely for him”.
Mr Truss said Mr Macfarlane’s move into the Nationals made no difference to his immediate future as leader or any potential succession plan.
“Let me assure you there’s be absolutely no commitments given to Ian that he’ll become a leader or fill those sorts of positions in future,” he said.
“I can’t speak for other people but certainly there were no commitments given by me.
“Everyone in our party room understands that whenever there is a (leadership) position to be contested anyone in the room is entitled to run.
“But Ian Macfarlane has not expressed any wish to become the next leader or the deputy leader or to fill those sorts of positions.
“When I retire the Nationals will choose a suitable person to be leader of the party and I think those who have been in the party for a long time are likely to have the experience and trust and confidence of their fellow party members and clearly when that occasion occurs anyone will be entitled to stand for leadership.”
Mr Truss said he would make a decision on his future “in due course”.
The Infrastructure and Regional Transport Minister said he was enjoying his parliamentary duties and had a “lot of unfinished work”.
“I’d love to be the minister when the first plane lands at Sydney west airport but I don’t think that’s going to happen so you can assume my retirement will come some time before then,” he said.
