Rogue MP Nick McBride decides to remain a Liberal after talks with party leaders

Liberal MP Nick McBride has made a decision on whether he will remain in the party or head to the crossbench, after talks with Premier Steven Marshall and Treasurer Rob Lucas.

Rogue backbencher Nick McBride has decided to remain a member of the Liberal Party after “productive discussions” with Premier Steven Marshall over his possible defection to the crossbench.

Mr McBride announced in a statement on Monday evening that he would be staying with the Liberals.

The move means the state government has avoided plunging deeper into minority and dodged further damage to its chances at the 2022 state election.

However, a source said tensions remained high within the party.

“If a series of other commitments don’t come through, things could blow up quickly,” they said.

Mr McBride confirmed he had been considering his future within the Liberal Party and had been consulting with his constituents about his options.

“I wish to advise my commitment to continue as the Liberal Member for MacKillop,” he said in a statement.

Mr McBride, who met with Mr Marshall at the state administration centre on Monday morning, said his decision came after “productive discussions” with the Premier and Treasurer Rob Lucas.

“We have committed to improve the flow of communication between the parliamentary party and regional members,” he said.

“The establishment of a monthly regional members’ forum is a measure that I welcome and look forward to participating in.”

Mr McBride said it had been a “challenging time as I considered how I can best serve my constituents and my electorate”.

“I intend to continue to work hard for my electorate and my party, and remain committed to ensure the best outcomes for my constituents,” he said.

The Advertiser on September 13 reported that Mr McBride, who has represented the South-
East electorate of MacKillop since 2018, was considering quitting the Liberal Party and becoming an independent.

Liberal backbencher Nick McBride on Monday. He has decided not to quit the party to become an independent. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Mr McBride gave himself a two-week deadline to decide and was consulting his community.

Sources said Mr McBride’s shock decision to re-evaluate his future as a Liberal came after he received a terse response from Premier Steven Marshall when he asked questions during a party room meeting earlier this month.

His queries related to what resources were being put towards bringing home South Australians stranded interstate because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

A source last week said Mr Marshall “gave Nick and his community the middle finger and it’s no surprise that Nick is angry about that”.

Liberal MP Tim Whetstone at the time defended Mr Marshall’s handling of his colleague’s queries, saying MPs were invited to ask questions about vaccinations and restrictions.

“Nick asked a number of questions and then strayed to border issues (and) the Premier stated that’s not part of this conversation,” he said.

Mr Marshall last week acknowledged MPs were frustrated with the travel exemptions process but said Mr McBride’s constituents “elected a Liberal and I think that they expect that to continue”.

Asked at the time if he was concerned that infighting within the party could cost the Liberals the election next year, Mr Marshall said he was focusing on dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and the economy.

Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas last week said Mr Marshall was “presiding over a scandal-plagued government that is increasingly becoming a basket case”.