REVEALED: CLP’s presence could rest solely in dumped senator Sam McMahon’s hands

UPDATED: The future of the Country Liberal Party in federal parliament could rest solely in the hands of dumped Senator Sam McMahon, it has been revealed.

UPDATED: COUNTRY Liberal Party president Jamie de Brenni has sought to crush fears his party could be deregistered by new laws passed through federal parliament last week.

The Party Registration Integrity Bill increased the number of members a party needs to be registered from 500 to 1500, unless it has a member in the federal parliament.

The only CLP politician in Canberra is Senator Sam McMahon, who lost a preselection battle to retain her top spot on the ticket for the upcoming federal election.

Senator McMahon on Tuesday confirmed she had been approached by Clive Palmer’s United Party and the Liberal Democrats to defect, which would technically deregister the CLP, but told Sky News she had “no plans to do anything at this time”.

CLP candidates for the federal election. Tina MacFarlane (Solomon) Jamie de Brenni (CLP President) Jacinta Price (senate) Damien Ryan (Lingiari). PICTURE GARY SHIPWAY

Later that day, Mr di Brenni released a statement vowing the party would be going nowhere fast.

“Media reports (on Tuesday) about the future of the CLP are nothing more than scaremongering and speculation as Senator Sam McMahon won’t be leaving the CLP,” Mr di Brenni said.

“The future of the Country Liberal Party remains secure and certain – and the CLP will be here for the long-term.

“Senator McMahon has been a powerful CLP representative for the Northern Territory and reflects the true values of the CLP.”

Mr di Brenni said Senator McMahon championed issues such as two seats for the NT, and that the party continued to have a “strong relationship” with The Nationals and the Liberal Party after over 50 years.

It’s understood the CLP have between 500 and 1500 active members, meaning it would be deregistered under the new laws, but wouldn’t have been under the old legislation, if Senator McMahon left the party.

CLP Senator Sam McMahon said she found the story to be an “interesting story”. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Gary Ramage

Any deregistration of the party would mean Senator McMahon’s replacement on the senate ticket, Jacinta Price, would be listed on the ballot as an independent.

The lower house CLP candidates for Lingiari and Solomon, Damien Ryan and Tina McFarlane, would also be listed as independents.

Senator McMahon posted a copy of Tuesday’s NT News story about the change, saying the story “is an interesting report” which “raises many permutations”.

“It will not change anything I or the party need to do,” she posted to her Facebook page.

EARLIER: THE future of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) at a federal level could sit solely in the hands of dumped Senator Sam McMahon, after a new bill passed the parliament last week.

The Party Registration Integrity Bill increased the number of members a party needs to be registered from 500 to 1500, unless it has a member in the federal parliament.

It’s understood the CLP has more than 500 members but fewer than 1500.

If Senator McMahon – who lost preselection to Jacinta Price in June – decided to quit the CLP, the party could lose its registration.

When contacted, Senator McMahon confirmed she had been approached to join other parties – including the Liberal Democrats and Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party.

CLP Senator Sam McMahon confirmed she had been approached by other parties. Picture: The Australian

“I have no plans to do anything at this point in time but you never rule anything out,” she told Sky News.

It’s understood senior party members began reaching out to Senator McMahon late last week to shore up her support.

CLP president Jamie de Brenni did not respond to a request for comment.

Professor Graeme Orr from the University of Queensland – an expert on electoral and parliamentary law – said the changes could have serious consequences for the CLP.

“If the CLP’s only federal MP (Senator McMahon) jumps, it’s no longer a Commonwealth ‘parliamentary party’ with guaranteed registration,” he said.

“This would only add to incentive to split if she was a dissident.

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“Plus, she would not need to register a party spruiking her own name on the Senate ballot.”

If the CLP lost its registration, it would mean Ms Price and lower-house candidates Damien Ryan and Tina McFarlane would effectively have to contest the next federal election as independents.

While they could have the Country Liberal Party colours and logo on their advertising material and corflutes, they would be listed as independents on the ballot paper.

Prof Orr said time could save the CLP, with a three-month grace period once the bill receives Royal Assent.

The Australian Electoral Commission would then face a logjam trying to assess the status of minor parties who might not have 1500 members – a process that could take months.

Some within the CLP also believe their relationship with the Liberal and National parties would mean they were exempt from deregistration.

But Prof Orr said there was no official association between the parties.

“If it were ‘part’ of the Liberal or National Parties of Australia, it could surf on their membership,” he said.

“But the CLP Constitution seems designed for independence of each of those parties. It merely refers to ‘co-operation’.

“A ruse might be for the Liberal Party to ask sufficient surplus interstate members to join the CLP to save its registration, if the CLP adjusted its Constitution to allow out-of-Territory membership.

“But that ruse would (a) soon become public and embarrass a party based on NT parochialism and (b) risk shifting factional balance in the CLP in unpredictable ways.

Originally published as REVEALED: CLP’s presence could rest solely in dumped senator Sam McMahon’s hands