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Just when you thought the Morrison government could not get worse, another Liberal MP is getting ready to walk.
Craig Kelly would consider leaving the party and standing as an independent because he fears losing preselection to recontest his seat in Sydney.
He said leaving the Liberal Party was "a future possibility".
"I still have a lot of hope in a preselection competition," he told Fairfax Media. "I am 100% focused on my job, which is to represent my electorate until the end of this term."
Mr. Kelly, a Liberal right-wing member, is the MP for Hughes in South Sydney and one of the party members who supported the successful attempt to oust Malcolm Turnbull, the Prime Minister, in August.
This caused a stir among Liberal members of the Hughes Branch, where the moderate wing would now have the numbers to deny Mr Kelly's pre-selection.
Mr. Kelly was seen this morning in the halls of the press gallery, wearing a T-shirt with the face of Robert Menzies, thus minimizing speculation about his future.
"Show where my true loyalty lies," he said.
Mr. Menzies, of course, was the founder of the Liberal Party and the longest-serving Australian prime minister.
Mr. Kelly was on his way to an interview with National Radio, where he was a little less ambiguous about his intentions.
"I have a contract with the people of Hughes. Last year, when I entered my name on the ballot as a Liberal member, I signed a contract to serve Hughes for this term as a Liberal member, "said Mr. Kelly.
"I will certainly not give up on the Liberal Party. I am proud to have Scott Morrison as the country's prime minister. "
The suggestion is that Mr. Kelly is worried about losing his preselection battle and could leave the party if that happens.
But this morning, he said that he was waiting "absolutely" to be shortlisted.
"In fact, I'm in favor of a preselection competition," he told Fran Kelly.
"I think it's good that we all have to put our records on the line."
Pressed further, he again insisted that he did not intend to join the cross-table.
"I did not think about that. The other options are going to be driving the Wallabies, given their current performance. Another option is to go and become a Tibetan monk and join a monastery. "
Former Liberal Party candidate John Ruddick encouraged Mr. Kelly to take action.
"It is true that people have called me after the demotion of Senator Jim Molan and have urged me to leave my position now and to sit as an independent Conservative," said Mr. Kelly. . L & # 39; Australian.
"However, I have a contract with Hughes voters, who voted me and even gave me the opportunity to represent them in Canberra.
"I look forward to participating in the preselection competition to put my record and accomplishments – including the fact that I moved my seat higher in the electoral clock than any other Liberal MP in the country – to the NSW Liberal Party. to seek their endorsement of Hughes' seat in the next election as a Liberal candidate. "
He finally said that he would resist calls to come to the table in the hope of winning Liberal preselection, but that he would keep his options open.
The Liberals would have prepared for an additional internal division following Julia Banks' abrupt resignation earlier this week, with some MPs fearing "no more coming".
The Chisholm MP on Tuesday issued a scathing statement highlighting her "treacherous" resignation from the warring party.
She said she thought about the coup that saw Malcolm Turnbull overthrown as prime minister and led by members of the "reactionary right".
"Many deputies took part in the coup by exchanging their vote for a change of leadership in exchange for their individual promotion, their pre-selection approvals or their silence," she said. declared.
"Their actions were undeniably for themselves. For their position in the party. Their power. Their personal ambition. Not for the Australian people we represent. Not for what people voted for the 2016 election.
Banks said the aftermath of the leadership overthrow the "obstruction and fighting actions" of the major parties.
"All to score political points rather than making wise, practical and timely decisions on issues of concern to Australians."
The Victorian MP also attacked the Liberals' "women's issue," saying that the level of respect and respect for women in politics in the two major parties was several years behind the business scene.
"There is also a clear need for an independent system and warning launchers, as in many workplaces, to allow reporting the mistakes of those in power without fear of reprisal or retaliation." , she said.
DECLARATION pic.twitter.com/gmAmbFyY7y
– Julia Banks, MP (@juliabanksmp) November 27, 2018
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