MEMBER for Mallee Anne Webster is pushing for more stability in the National Party following this week’s leadership spill.
Dr Webster is pushing for a minimum two-thirds majority in the party room before any spill.
As it stands, a Nationals member can cause a spill with just one colleague’s backing.
“It is to bring better stability, in particular to the party going forward, and it’s about having certainty,” Dr Webster said.
“I think that gives the leader the ability to move on and do his job and allows the party not to be distracted, as we have this week, by (a spill).
“The fact of the matter is Australia is tired and they have made it quite plain that the revolving door of leadership is something they do not want to see continue and it doesn’t matter which party it is.”
Similar rulings on leadership spills were made by the Labor Party in 2013 and in the Liberal Party following the 2018 leadership spill.
Dr Webster said there hadn’t been a need for a majority ruling in the National Party until now.
“There hasn’t been a lot of speculation (in leadership) until recently, so there hasn’t been a call for it,” he said.
“The argument has been that we are a grassroots democratic party, which is true, and we certainly play well as a team.”
While some members of the National Party, including Barnaby Joyce, have publicly opposed such a rule, Dr Webster said other colleagues seemed to be on board.
“My discussion with my colleagues has been really positive,” she said.
“Not every party member is keen, for their own reasons.
“From my discussions with my colleagues, there is a general sense of the need for it.”
Dr Webster said she had hoped to put the motion to the party room earlier in the week, but it was put on hold due to administrative issues.
She said she hoped to try again in the coming months.
