NSW NATIONALS leader John Barilaro started it, by threatening to take his bucket and spade from the sandpit and go play on the cross benches.
He made a thorough goose of himself on two counts: tittle-tattling to the public about matters that should have been sorted out behind closed doors and displaying his ignorance of constitutional conventions.
In an exemplary display of leadership, Premier Berejiklian issued an ultimatum: go to the cross-benches and lose your Ministry, or remain in the coalition and retain your Ministry.
BACKDOWN
In a humiliating backdown, Barilaro chose the latter.
That should have been the end of it.
Figuratively kicking the vanquished goose in the head, Police Minister David Elliott and other Liberals dived straight back into the sandpit calling Barilaro’s faux pas “an act of bastardry” and braying for his resignation as head of the Nationals.
Children, children! stop the tantrums. Us Liberals need the Nationals just as much as the Nationals need us. Make up your differences in private and get on with the good job you are doing in running NSW.PC
Hello Mr. Laucis,
Yes, the Berejiklian Govt. have been doing a good job on several fronts and of course the alternative Labor/greens coalition are definitely not an option for us.
However, Barilaro is quite right on the Koala issue. Protecting 129 trees is a giant overreaction and threatens to do more harm than good. As the many recent articles in Politicom point out so well, Berejiklian and a core of her Cabinet have turned decidedly green, which for most Conservatives, comes as a very nasty shock.
On matters of energy, Berejiklian & co. are barking up the windmill pole; they desperately need to talk to Qld Senator Matt Canavan whose policies are absolutely sound and sensible.
Now, call me naive, but I also yearn for Berejiklian to wage and win a vital battle to stop the pollution of our children’s and youngsters’ minds with socialist ‘woke’ garbage; the garbage now continually spouted in our schools and Universities. The standard of teaching in Australian schools has fallen abysmally and media types laugh when I suggest they give some time to address on site, the overwhelming socialist influence that left-wing academics are exerting so successfully in our Universities.
Unfortunately and obviously, there is much to complain about.
Sincerely,
Jennifer.
Thanks for the article Juris. Can you enlighten me on a few matters I am struggling with?
Barilaro has made a few gaffes re his bad language to Constance at the recent Eden-Monaro by-election. Nevertheless, he is held in high esteem by fellow politicians because his heart is in it for his country folk and farmers. He genuinely cares! His texting makes Shane Warne look like an amateur.
The Telegraph reported some errors in the Liberal Koala SEPP legislation such as camphor trees being necessary food source for koalas when we know it is not. It was also pointed out that the mapping of koala zones is so far out that they include sand dune areas at beaches in the Newcastle zone etc.
The Liberal minister (who drafted the legislation) vehemently denies this — saying farmers have nothing to fear.
Who is right? What are the pros and cons?
I have some doubts re Gladys and her choice of environment minister (M Kean) who is Greener than most and which gives credibility to the Nationals revolt in easing the unnecessary pain for farmers.