Broadbent back to normal after turmoil

Federal Liberal Member for McMillan Russell Broadbent was back into “electorate duties and meeting with constituents” in his Warragul office yesterday after a fortnight of turmoil in the Liberal Party room in Canberra that resulted in Malcolm Turnbull relinquishing the Prime Ministership last Friday.

Mr Broadbent supported Mr Turnbull when he called a spill of the party’s leadership positions a fortnight ago maintaining a stance he had previously adopted – when Mr Turnbull ousted Tony Abbott – of casting his vote against removing an incumbent Prime Minister.

He was one of 40 of 85 Liberal members that opposed a further spill last Friday at which Mr Turnbull declined to renominate to retain the leadership and it became a contest between Scott Morrison, Peter Dutton and Julie Bishop.

Speaking with The Gazette yesterday Mr Broadbent said he voted in favour of Ms Bishop on the initial ballot on Friday and believed had she won she would have “good prospects for the next election” that can be held no later than the first half of next year.

After Ms Bishop was eliminated from the leadership contest in the first round of the ballot Mr Broadbent gave his support to Mr Morrison who eventually succeeded in defeating Mr Dutton to become Prime Minister.

Mr Broadbent said he believed Mr Turnbull would formally resign his seat of Wentworth this week setting the stage for a by-election within the next couple of months.

The Liberal National coalition holds a majority of only one seat in the House of Representatives.

By-elections are generally difficult for a government to win and “we (the government) are only a heart attack away from losing a majority in the House anyway,” Mr Broadbent said.

He said he was looking forward to continuing to “help people in the McMillan electorate that were having difficulties” and to re-contesting the seat – that is to be renamed Monash -at the next election.

There have been some changes to the electorate’s boundary since the 2016 election and Mr Broadbent said he regarded it as “a strategic regional seat” at the next election.

Baw Baw Shire councillor Jessica O’Donnell has been endorsed to stand for the Labor Party, while Will Hornstra has been endorsed by the Greens.