Outgoing Vaile resists amalgamation calls
Updated
Outgoing deputy prime minister Mark Vaile disagrees with the view that the Liberal and National parties should amalgamate in the wake of the weekend's election loss.
Mr Vaile today announced that he will not contest the leadership or deputy's job with the Nationals, saying it is time for generational change.
Veteran Liberal Wilson Tuckey says the Liberals and Nationals should join together.
Mr Vaile disagrees and argues the two parties should stay in Coalition.
"As far as amalgamation is concerned I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future," he said.
"My belief is that regional Australia is entitled to their unique voice and that's always been given to them by the Nationals and we have had proposals in terms of amalgamation, I've argued against it then and I'll argue against it in the future."
The then-Queensland Nationals leader Lawrence Springborg first suggested a merger with the Liberals after the 2004 federal election, but then prime minister John Howard rejected the proposal.
Mr Springborg says it is pointless to consider whether a united party would have made a difference to Saturday's result, but now is the time to reconsider the concept.
"We've lost a number of years and given everything that happened on the weekend, it'll probably compound the time that it could take to rebuild and come back," he said.
"But if it was in place it would certainly make the road back a lot more clearer, a lot easier and certainly with a lot more focus."
Dumping policies?
Meanwhile the outgoing minister for ageing, Christopher Pyne, says renewal within the Coalition could include dumping policies it had while in government.
Mr Pyne is expected to declare his interest in the deputy leadership of the Liberal Party next week, once a new leader is appointed to replace John Howard.
Mr Pyne says after an election defeat the slate needs to be wiped clean.
"What we need to do is think about the future and plan for the future and engage with the public about what they think is important," he said.
"It includes everything, the Liberal Party is not wedded to old policies from the previous government.
"The Liberal Party will continue to evolve and determine what is best for Australia into the future."
Topics: liberals, federal-election-2007, government-and-politics, elections, federal-government, political-parties, vaile-mark, australia, qld
First posted
The outgoing Deputy Prime Minister of Australia, Mark Vaile today announced that he will resign as leader of the National party, following the Liberal/National party coalition government's defeat on Saturday. Mr Vaile took leadership of the National party after John Anderson's resignation in July, 2005.

With his wife by his side, an emotional Mark Vaile said that he had considered his future in wake of the coalition's defeat and that he believed it was time for change within the National party.

"Over the last couple of days and particularly as I drove to Canberra this morning with Wendy to come down and start packing up my office to make way for the incoming deputy prime minister, we reflected on a whole range of issues," he said.

"We are at a point in the history of politics in Australia where we believe and I believe it is time for an opportunity for a bit of a change in the leadership of our party. I certainly don't want to stand in the way of that."

Mr Vaile said that the past 11 or so years had been particularly difficult for his family. "It's been a long 10 or 11 years for my family whilst I've been away from home and they deserve a bit of time and that's what I want to give them," said Mr Vaile.

Mr Vaile said he accepted some of the responsibility for the coalition's defeat on the weekend. "As the leader of my party I shoulder my share of the responsibility for the outcome on Saturday," he said.

Mr Vaile also dismissed Liberal Wilson Tuckey's suggestion that the Liberals and Nationals should amalgamate. He said he continued to oppose the idea.

"As far as amalgamation is concerned I've opposed it in the past and I'll oppose it in the future," he said.

"My belief is that regional Australia is entitled to their unique voice and that's always been given to them by the Nationals and we have had proposals in terms of amalgamation, I've argued against it then and I'll argue against it in the future."

Mr Vaile will continue to serve the remainder of his term for his constituency of Lyne on the backbench.