MacKillop MP Nick McBride sets deadline on call to quit government

A Liberal backbencher is thinking about his party exit after a terse exchange with the Premier in a move that would deal another blow to government election hopes.

A Liberal backbencher is considering quitting the party to become an independent MP – a move that would leave the state government’s power to pass legislation, and its chances of winning next year’s state election, in a precarious position.

Sources have confirmed MacKillop MP Nick McBride has asked his electorate if he should defect from the Liberal Party and become an independent MP.

Liberal Member for MacKillop Nick McBride. Picture: Tom Huntley

He has given himself a two-week deadline to make the decision.

A source has told The Advertiser the shock move came after Mr McBride received a terse response from Premier Steven Marshall after he asked questions during a party room meeting last week.

Mr McBride’s questions related to what resources were being put towards bringing home South Australians stranded interstate due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

“The Premier in the party room meeting gave Nick and his community the middle finger and it’s no surprise that Nick is angry about that,” the source said.

A spokeswoman for Mr Marshall said he would not respond to speculation about Mr McBride’s plans nor would he comment on party room discussions.

If Mr McBride does become the Lower House’s sixth independent member, it would leave only 21 Liberals on the floor, while Labor has 19 MPs in the House of Assembly.

This would mean the Liberals would need to secure the votes of at least three independents to pass legislation that did not have bipartisan support, giving the crossbenchers more power within the house.

Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell.

“The government is even deeper in minority and in serious trouble,” a source said.

“It’s hard to see (the party) winning the election from here – (The party is) starting to enter territory where it will be guaranteed a hung parliament.”

Mr McBride has been contacted for comment.

Mr McBride last month defied his party’s wishes and crossed the floor of parliament to help thwart the government’s plan to extend coronavirus emergency laws until after next year's state election.

The government had wanted to extend the laws, which support Police Commissioner Grant Stevens’ extensive powers to manage the pandemic, until April 30, 2022, or 28 days after the emergency declaration ends.

However, Mr McBride crossed the floor to support an amendment by independent Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell that would extend the laws only until December 1.

Mr McBride at the time said that given the federal government predicts Australia would reach an 70-80 per cent vaccination rate towards the end of the year, it would make sense to reassess the laws in December.

Mr Bell, a fellow south east-based MP, would not be drawn on his neighbouring MP’s decision to consult his community about becoming an independent.

“I think he is an outstanding local member and fights hard for his electorate,” he said.

Former Liberal MP departs the Magistrates Court in Adelaide. Picture: David Mariuz

The government’s stronghold in the Lower House was thrown into turmoil earlier this year when then-Liberal backbencher Fraser Ellis announced he had resigned from the Party, plunging the Liberals into minority.

Mr Ellis told state parliament in February he would become an independent after he was charged with 23 counts of deception amid the country members allowance scandal.

Mr Ellis said he was innocent and would be fighting the charges.

The Yorke Peninsula-based MP was the second Liberal MP to stand down from the Liberal party during this term in Government.

Former Liberal MP Sam Duluk suspended his party membership, and became an independent MP, in February 2020 after a police investigation was launched into his conduct at a Christmas party at Parliament House in 2019.

Mr Duluk was charged in April last year with assaulting fellow MP Connie Bonaros at the party.

He was found not guilty of the charge last month.