Liberal National Party caucus HQ

[Talleyrand]

Maxine Bartlett MP on the cover of Women's Weekly

Name: Maxine Bartlett
Age: 42
Ideology: "Small-l" Liberal
Place of Birth: Wellington Point, Queensland
Occupation: Barrister and Solicitor
Family: Ex-husband Peter Heweson (45), son Marcus (15), and daughter Isabella (11)

Brief Biography: Maxine was born in an upper middle-class family in the leafy Brisbane suburb of Wellington Point, as the last of eleven children. Her father was a local physician, while her mother was a housewife. She attended Australian National University, where she received both her Bachelor and Master's degrees in law. Active in the College Liberal Club, she eventually rose to become its President. In 1994, Maxine returned to Queensland, taking a position with the prominent law firm Mallesons Stephen Jaques, where she worked for the next decade. During this time, she married businessman Peter Heweson, with whom she had two children. The couple divorced after eight years of marriage in 2005 after he admitted to having a child out of wedlock.

In 2004, she narrowly won a bitter pre-selection battle for the seat of Bowman over a prominent state MP, and won the seat with a 7.9% margin in the election. Despite suffering a huge swing which left her seat with 0.4% majority in 2007, Maxine currently holds the seat with a comfortable 60.5% of the two-party-preferred vote. She has risen quickly through LNP ranks, and is considered one of the best parliamentary performers on either side of the aisle. Maxine frequently appears on television, as she's considered one of the better communicators in the party. She has been popular among her fellow Queensland and centrist LNP MPs and rank-and-file.

Other: Maxine, a non-practicing Anglican, has been one of the more socially liberal members of the party. Formerly active in the Republican movement, she supports same-sex marriage and has expressed support for an emissions trading scheme. On economic issues, she has traditionally been a "dry", or Thatcherite. She splits her time between Canberra and her Queensland electorate, where she has a home in Cornubia. Maxine's hobbies include tennis, snorkeling, and scuba-diving. Despite having dated on-and-off since her divorce, Maxine is currently single.

Division: Bowman, Queensland


Swedish Cheese, do you want to have a vote on renaming the party? Should we have an election for each position on the frontbench, or elect the leader and then have him select its members?

[Talleyrand]

I'm only for changing the name if the ALP does so as well. It doesn't need to be something radically different. For example, the National Liberal Alliance could suffice.

BTW, Sanchez, what electorate are you in? I'm guessing something in NSW, so you should probably pick one from the list here- Link.

[Talleyrand]

I nominate Ms Bartlett.

Nomination seconded. (shameless self promotion)

Should we hold a ballot for the deputy leadership, or should that be an issue we consider as part of how the frontbench is elected?

We should probably consider the following question like the ALP did.

How should frontbenchers (ministers/shadow ministers) be appointed? (please cross next to preference)
[  X  ] Appointed by Party Leader
[   ] Elected by the caucus to each individual ministry

[Talleyrand]

OOC: Former PM Julia Gillard, for example, lives in Altona , which is actually in the neighboring electorate of Gellibrand, instead of her division, Lalor. And while Barnaby Joyce (the future National Leader) is contesting the NSW Division of New England, I believe he still lives in in neighboring Maranoa (QLD). So Swedish Cheese looks like he's in the clear.

[Talleyrand]

Each time I visit my constituency; ordinary Australians come up to me and share their concerns about the direction of our nation. From the nineteen year old girl struggling to pay for university to the ninety-six year old veteran who has seen his livelihood slip away, there’s a common theme we’ve been seeing the last six years; a lack of leadership from this government. As huge surpluses have collapsed into immense deficits due to the financial mismanagement of this government; as a record debt created by the incompetence of the Australian Labor Party shows its dark side upon millions of hardworking ordinary Australians, the Coalition cannot hope to form a parliamentary majority on the floor of the House of Representatives unless we show the electorate why we are an acceptable, viable alternative to the train wreck we have seen in recent times. The Liberal National Party has traditionally been the party of small, effective governance and creative, reasonable solutions. By presenting an articulate vision of where we want to take this country, we can win this election in order to turn back the tide in favor of Australia.

One policy that the Labor government has failed miserably in is the handling of the carbon tax, which has produced so many destructive effects for the Australian economy that they easily outweigh any environmental benefit it would bring. Our miners will see their electricity bills skyrocket, our small businessmen will see their businesses shut down in response to anxiety from our investors, and countless other hardworking, good people will see their livelihoods fall apart. Thousands of jobs have already been lost due this regressive bill, and many firms struggle to keep their doors open. If elected, our first priority must be to repeal this tax, the product of a broken promise, and vice on the aspirations of Australians, immediately. The Coalition is a party which acknowledges the science of man-made climate change, and it must be our priority to put in place a market-based emissions trading scheme, one which will reduce our carbon output while maintaining our economic security. It’s not rocket science.

For absolutely no reason at all, we’ve seen Australian exports savaged by this government, with the ban on cattle exports to Indonesia the most egregious example. The local cattle industry has suffered, undeservedly, and for what? Some unsubstantiated claims about the mistreatment of a few specimens by Indonesian authorities. This is not the way we should be treating one of our most important trading partners or our own farmers, the backbone of rural Australia. Meanwhile, the ALP allows imports of cattle from nations without proper health standards, exposing our citizens to mad cow disease. Free trade and deregulation transformed this country into a booming economic power, and while the Labor party goes on and on about “preparing for a global future” and “moving forward”, they’ve resorted to ridiculous trade policies, union-dominated industrial elections, and humiliating the nations which will be vital to Australia’s future abroad.

Australia must develop a world-class education system, and rather than the money-based block grants under the proposed Gonski scheme, the Coalition must take a free enterprise-oriented approach to school reforms across the country. More focus must be given on building successful charter schools and vouchers available to those students with the worst of circumstances. Underfunding schools isn’t the issue; throwing money at the problem won’t fix the issue. Instead, we have to change the core of the education system from the bureaucratic mess it is today. We need to strengthen our job training system, and encourage the development of more skilled workers, especially to reduce the remaining unemployment rate. A comprehensive education reform plan will be a top priority under an LNP government I lead.

Respect for Australia’s land and people will be restored by a Coalition government. After the initial positive steps for reconciliation with the Aboriginal population, the ALP has continued a destructive Wild Rivers intervention program, ripping apart their society. I am proud to be an Australian and even prouder of our shared cultural heritage, and the LNP will not dishonor that legacy by playing petty politics. Not only does this apply to the oldest of arrivals to this sacred land, but the newest. The Labor government’s racially charged game with Work Visas is an example of the destruction of the spirit of multiculturalism that Australia is unique for. Our nation is one the few in which immigrants’ culture can mold well into our own and create a diverse society tolerant of differences. A Coalition victory will produce a government and Prime Minister who are for all Australians, not just the Western Sydney-crazed union bosses who run the Labor Party. I will allow for a conscience vote on same-sex marriage by all LNP members if I am elected Prime Minster, as this is understandably a divisive issue within our caucus. All MPs will have a seat at the table in extending the right to marry the person one loves to all Australians. Conservation efforts will be critical under a government a lead, and we will work to preserve the natural fauna and flora of this land, from the Koalas of South Australia to the Cassowaries of Queensland, for many generations to come.

Broken promises, broken lives; these are the result of Labor’s sideshow in governing. We’re still waiting for every student to get a laptop, hundreds of Super Clinics and childcare centers, safe insulation schemes, and the balanced budget which has been supposed to be handed down every year and the year after that. A Coalition government will be on based on trust and clear-cut governance. It will be a government for all Australia, and government families can feel comfortable about their children’s future with. The economic prosperity squandered by the current leadership in Canberra will be restored, as will a consensus style of governance with allowance for all of our great states and territories.

Our greatest Prime Minister, Sir Robert Menzies, once said “This is a wonderful country. It’s going to be more wonderful still, but it will achieve greater wonders on the hard work and efforts of its people and not by a spirit of dependency, not on the kind of attitude towards governments and what governments ought to do that our opponents find so easy.” Each year, this is the dream of the Australia that thousands are born into. Each year, this is the Australia that thousands of immigrants from nations where there is no such thing as civil liberty or freedom journey for. Each year, this is the nation where over twenty million people are all proud to play our own little niche in.

When I first entered politics in 2004, I never expected to contest the leadership election of Australia’s greatest political party (thanks to Matthew Collins for his nomination; he is one of party's brightest hopes for the future) , let alone win pre-selection for my own seat. It has been an honor to be elected by the people of Bowman three times, and now I’d like to present the LNP vision effort to restore the nation we love. These are not circumstances we had hoped for, but circumstances we were made to handle. Martin Oakleigh, despite our differences, is an honorable man, and one who was of great assistance to me as a young parliamentarian for this party years ago. Regardless of whoever wins this ballot, it has been an honor to serve in this body and our party will be in good hands.

I humbly request your vote in this leadership ballot. Thank you.


I think we can go ahead and vote on the leadership now. Once someone has secured a majority (hopefully in the next 24 hours), we can have declarations for deputy leader and an election for that (or the leader can just appoint one, depending on what caucus prefers).

Rank the following candidates for the leadership of the Liberal National Party by preference.
[2] Martin Oakleigh (Curtin-WA)
[1] Maxine Bartlett (Bowman-QLD)

[Talleyrand]

By a vote of 5-2, Martin Oakleigh is elected Leader of the Liberal National Party, and by extension, Leader of the Opposition.

Mr. Oakleigh must now assign each MP one of the following ministries-

Shadow Treasurer
Shadow Foreign, Defence, and Trade Minister
Shadow Attorney General
Shadow Health and Community Services Minister
Shadow Infrastructure Minister
Shadow Environment and Climate Change Minister

There are only 6 listed by Hugh, so I suppose someone will be left without a ministry for now (Swedish Cheese, since he's gone until the election?) until more roles are added OR the Deputy Leader could be left without a ministry for now.

[Talleyrand]

I'd encourage one member to remain without a ministry, because they'll become the Speaker after the election. So not having a ministry is a sign of faith

The main thing I'm not understanding is how exactly the Speaker could function as a reasonable Game Moderator when he's elected by one party. How would you eliminate the conflict-of-interest? Have a Deputy Speaker from the other side to even it out?


I will accept the Deputy Leadership, and I thank the Leader of the Opposition for this opportunity to serve. I will accept any one of the six ministries if available.