Nationals Undermined In Byelection: Rees
Newcastle Herald
Saturday October 25, 2008
PREMIER Nathan Rees has blamed the Hunter Liberals for the Nationals' loss in last weekend's Port Macquarie byelection, telling Parliament they had "white-anted" their Opposition colleagues.
"The question for [Nationals Leader Andrew] Stoner is: in the aftermath of the previous exercise to establish the Hunter Liberals, and he will remember the Hunter Liberals, and the statement that they pose no threat to the Nationals, what is he now going to do about this situation?" Mr Rees asked."He has been actively white-anted and undermined by his leader [Opposition Leader Barry O'Farrell]." When asked if the Hunter Liberals were muscling in on Nationals' turf, Mr Stoner said he believed the group was now dormant. "The Hunter Liberals, I think, were simply a creation of the Liberal Party to get people into local government, that's the explanation I have had from Barry O'Farrell. And I'm fine with that," he said.Mr Stoner said there should have been better communication between the Nationals and Liberals over the launch of the Hunter Liberals.Liberal Hunter spokesman Mike Gallacher said the suggestion the Port Macquarie outcome was the fault of the Hunter Liberals was "preposterous". "My advice to the Premier is to get a map and see how far Port Macquarie is from the Port of Newcastle, maybe he has them confused," he said.
© 2008 Newcastle Herald
