Steven Marshall facing a triple threat as three rebel MPs ponder defecting from the Liberal Party
Premier Steven Marshall is facing a major challenge to keep his party united just six months from an election, as three Liberal backbenchers are at risk of jumping ship.
SA News
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Premier Steven Marshall is facing the prospect of up to three Liberal backbenchers defecting to the crossbench over his alleged tin ear to grassroots issues, despite an expectation that renegade conservative Nick McBride will back down on a threat to become an independent.
Senior Liberals have told The Advertiser that conservative backbenchers Dan Cregan and Steve Murray have serious, unresolved differences with Mr Marshall’s leadership, despite both being endorsed party candidates for next March’s state election.
This means the prospect of the duo joining former Liberal conservatives Fraser Ellis and Sam Duluk on the crossbench cannot be ruled out, even though both Mr Cregan and Mr Murray have committed to contest the next election as Liberals.
Mr Cregan and Mr Murray, a former state Liberal president, met Mr Marshall on Tuesday for crisis talks over the potential defection of Mr McBride, who holds the southeast seat of MacKillop.
Mr McBride is considering quitting the Liberals and is consulting his constituents about whether to stand as an independent.
Some senior Liberals on Wednesday were confident that Mr McBride would remain in the party but others discounted his political acumen and influence, branding his next moves unpredictable.
It is understood the grievances from all three Liberal conservative backbenchers involve frustration at a perception that Mr Marshall is not paying sufficient attention to issues raised on behalf of constituents. Asked to respond, Mr Marshall did not comment. Mr Marshall on Wednesday bluntly insisted that Mr McBride’s constituents had elected a Liberal and “I think that they expect that to continue”.
Mr Cregan on Wednesday declared he had “decided to seek re-election” for a second term in the Adelaide Hills seat of Kavel, overturning his July announcement that he would quit at the next election. But his statement did not mention the Liberal Party, instead saying his decision had been made “after careful consideration and the encouragement of many people in my community”.
“I will be writing personally to everybody in my seat asking for their support at the election, recognising that I work for them and only my community can extend my contract,” Mr Cregan said.
His move was made ahead of a Liberal Party state executive meeting on Thursday, which is expected to trigger the preselection process for Waite, after Mr Duluk on September 9 announced he would abandon hope of a Liberal return and contest that seat as an independent.
In 2018, Mr Cregan, Mr Murray, Mr Ellis and Mr McBride – at the time all Liberal conservative backbenchers – crossed the floor to delay a vote on mining reforms.
The Advertiser in July revealed rebel conservative Liberals were considering launching a breakaway party after becoming infuriated by the government’s social reforms and being snubbed for Cabinet positions.
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