He said he would encourage his partyroom to endorse supporting a candidate “who is not a member of our party”.
“If someone nominates for the position other than Mark Latham than it is possible the NSW Labor government will support their nomination,” he said.
The internal divisions within the junior Coalition partner came at an awkward time for the embattled party,playing out on the same day Liberal leader Mark Speakman announced the “first tranche” of his opposition frontbench.
Former treasurer Matt Kean hold the opposition health portfolio while the party’s upper house leader,Damien Tudehope,will become shadow treasurer.
Natalie Ward – who will face her own challenge to become the party’s deputy during a ballot next week – will take the opposition’s transport and roads portfolios.
While Toole will retain police and fellow National Sarah Mitchell remains in education,Taylor missed out on becoming opposition health spokeswoman. Instead she will retain regional health,as well as trade and seniors.
Alister Henskens,a former barrister who was touted as a potential Liberal leader,will become the shadow attorney-general.
But with parliament set to resume next week,a series of portfolios including energy,planning and housing have yet to be announced.
Those changes were overshadowed by the fracas within the National party.
One Nationals MP said Franklin would be committing an act of “treachery” if he accepted the job because it would give Labor an effective progressive majority in the evenly balanced upper house.
“Minns has come out of the blue and offered it to a friend. Franklin should not take the role if he wants to remain a Nat,” said the Nationals MP,who spoke on the condition of anonymity in order to freely discuss internal matters.
Upper house presidential perks include and driver,staff and a salary on par with a government minister.
“This bloke is the godfather to one of Minns’ kids,essentially being offered one of the top jobs in parliament. And if he takes it,we lose a vote.”
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Another MP said:“I think he would prefer not to leave the party,but if he accepts,I don’t understand how he could stay. I don’t think the party will tolerate this.”
Minns on Wednesday conceded it “could be the case” that it would make it easier for the government to pass legislation.
“I’m being upfront about that,” he said. “It’s a recognition from us that we don’t have majorities[in either house of parliament].”
He denied some Nationals’ suggestion that their personal friendship meant it was a case of “jobs for the boys”,pointing out Labor had previously supported Liberal MP Matthew Mason-Cox for upper house president in the last term of parliament,and independent Greg Piper for lower house speaker.
Former minister and Nationals upper house leader Sarah Mitchell said she had also asked Franklin not to accept the role,arguing it was “not a position for the National party to hold”.
However,the issue did not trouble all party members,with one simply responding:“It’s the upper house. Who cares?”
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