REMEMBER WHEN

GOLD COAST BULLETIN MONDAY MARCH 5, 2001

BOB Quinn’s nightmare continued as his three-member Liberal Party was sent packing by the Nationals with fears it may lose all state funding.

The sole surviving Gold Coast Liberal was called to Brisbane and told that the Nationals would be better off without him and his partners after their party’s miserable showing in the state election.

And to rub salt in the wound, victorious Premier Peter Beattie hinted he may not be able to pass on any funding to the Liberals now they are on their own.

The Liberals were officially jettisoned when Mr Quinn was invited to Brisbane for “a discussion” with Nationals’ new leader Mike Horan and his deputy Vaughan Johnson.

He was told the Coalition was finished and the Liberals could go their own way.

Mr Horan said the Coalition’s devastating defeat at the state election prompted party officials to push for change.

He said the National Party wanted to win back its supporters by standing alone and “listening to Queensland”.

“We lost too many good seats and outstanding members in the election and it was just time for change,” Mr Horan said.

Mr Quinn said he was determined to survive.

The split had been mooted since the February 17 election.

Labor’s Mr Beattie won 66 seats, leaving the Nationals with 12 and the Liberals three. One Nation also claimed three, while independents took five.

“The voters gave a clear, strong message on election day that they wanted a united, cohesive alternative to the Labor Party,” Mr Quinn said.