Less than two months after losing government,the junior Coalition partner will start the first parliamentary sitting week on Tuesday in turmoil after Premier Chris Minns confirmed for the plum job of upper house president.
Franklin,a former Young Liberal turned Nationals MP,sparked fury in his party room this week for considering the role that would give Labor an effective progressive majority in the evenly balanced upper house.
Nationals MP and former arts minister Ben Franklin.Dominic Lorrimer
Despite senior Nationals insisting no party member should be put up for the role,it has since emerged that Franklin was not the only Nationals MP being touted for the role,with Wes Fang suggested for the role as recently as Wednesday.
The fracas exposes party disunity only weeks after its election loss and threatens to destabilise the Coalition,which is yet to name its full frontbench amid the saga.
Fang said he had been the deputy president in the upper house and was acting in the role while current president Matthew Mason-Cox was overseas. He said there was a “presumption” he was the best candidate among the crossbenchers.
Nationals MP Wes Fang was also touted for the upper house role.Renee Nowytarger
“My nomination was only to occur if Labor had nominated a conservative crossbench member,such as[Shooters,Fishers and Farmers] Robert Borsak,” Fang said. “As the current acting president,it is not appropriate for me to comment on the action of others.”
Several sources from the left-wing crossbench confirmed Fang would have been supported for president if Franklin had not already been named.
“We wanted a conservative member as president,and we supported Wes as deputy president previously,” a left-wing upper house MP said on the condition of anonymity.
Franklin,who is the godfather to one of Minns’s sons,was warned this week he could be forced to leave the party if he nominates for the position,which attracts a ministerial salary,a driver,three staff members and a private dining room.
“If Ben was to accept the position,I would refer it to ICAC.”
Nationals chair Andrew Fraser
Senior Nationals this week labelled the move “treachery”,before party chair Andrew Fraser.
The former arts minister was reelected to the upper house for another eight years on the Nationals ticket.
Fraser argued it could be considered partial conduct to the government and Franklin,firing off the ultimatum after a party room meeting on Thursday voted unanimously that it would not support a candidate for president.
“The party has given him his career,so to kick sand in the face of the party is not good,” Fraser said. “It’s a matter for the party room,which has made its decision. But if Ben was to accept the position,I would refer it to ICAC.”
Franklin has not responded to a request for comment but party sources say he is still considering his options after making his case during Thursday’s party room meeting.
Minns also nominated independent Lake Macquarie MP Greg Piper for the role of lower house speaker. Both houses will vote on the nominations on Tuesday.
Nationals leader Paul Toole on Thursday said the party room was limited in the actions it could take against a member,but insisted there would be ramifications for any member who defied a motion.
“Particularly a motion like this,which could impact on the position holding the government to account,” he said.
Asked if he would support a referral to ICAC,Toole said that would be “on the cards for consideration,” adding that the matter would be referred to the central executive who would likely take further action.
Senior NSW Nationals - including leader Paul Toole (centre),Bronnie Taylor (left) and Sarah Mitchell (right) - have told Ben Franklin not to nominate for the role of president.James Brickwood
Any ICAC referral would be made on the basis that the nomination was partial to the government because they would gain an advantage on the floor of the upper house,and to Franklin,because of the additional salary and privileges he would secure by accepting.
Labor has dismissed the threat,with deputy premier Prue Car saying the ICAC was “not there to monitor squabbles within the National Party”.
“This seems to be the National Party really having a hissy fit because Paul Toole doesn’t have control of his own party room,” she said. “It’s up to Ben Franklin as to whether he nominates for this position. Clearly,this is a pretty vexatious complaint.”
Car said the government had “made very clear” that it would accept nominations from non-government MPs other than One Nation leader Mark Latham “to ensure we can actually get legislation through both houses of parliament because the reality is we’re in a minority government”.
Minns on Wednesday denied some Nationals’ suggestions that his personal friendship with Franklin constituted a case of “jobs for the boys”,pointing out Labor had previously supported Mason-Cox for upper house president in the last term of parliament,and independent Greg Piper for lower house speaker.
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