Kim Beazley (Brand, Australian Labor Party, Leader of the Opposition) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Trade and refers to matters dealt with by him in question time yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister, doesn’t this plan released today reveal that when the Queensland Liberal Party takeover of the Queensland National Party takes effect, the Queensland Liberals will ‘remain and continue to be a part of the Liberal Party of Australia while Queensland Nationals will disappear,’ according to this document, into the Liberal Party organisation? Doesn’t this mean that the members for Dawson, Maranoa, Wide Bay and Hinkler are about to become either members of the Liberal Party or members of no political party? If one National Party defection caused the loss of one seat at the ministerial table, how many National Party ministers will go now, once the Queensland Nats cease to exist?

Mark Vaile (Lyne, National Party, Minister for Trade) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

In answer to the Leader of the Opposition’s question and to use a well-worn phrase: don’t you worry about that! Those members are all going to remain members of the National Party here and members of the coalition government.