The two newest parties which seemed to be merging have now drawn battle lines. After the dramatic departure of Queensland Party founder Aidan McLindon the fledgling organisation found itself without a leader or sitting member. Bob Katter found himself a new state Parliamentary Leader of Queensland and Aidan announced the much heralded merger but after that events took a new turn. Queensland Party secretary Ruth Bonnett and Party Chairman Jim nicholls immediately disputed the legality of this merger.

It appears that Aidan had simply assumed everyone would follow him over to Katter's as yet unnamed and unregistered... (what do you call a party which isn't a party yet?) organisation. However the party faithfull, ie those who haven't jumped ship in the last few days, have pointed out that the party constitution states that a rank and file vote is necessary. Only a 75% approval by the grassroots members would allow such a merger to be possible.

Ofcourse this may all be academic as Aidan was the only sitting member. Now the party is being investigated by the Queensland Electoral Commission and might be deregistered today. Unless they can prove they have 500 members they won't qualify. Hence a membership drive is underway with the stated goal of obtaining 500 new members within the next 2 weeks.

To add to the injury Aidan has allegedly swiped the party website on his way out the door. Even the party facebook page has been closed down. The website was the main source of new members according to Jim Nicholls.

A temporary new domain is being used to direct members to Ruth Bonnetts Just grounds Community website until the old website and domains can be re-aquired. http://www.queenslandparty.org

what safeguards are there that this new outfit isn't going the same way as the Independents & hand all their votes over to the incompetent Labor Party.

I've just discovered that a temporary website has been set up with the main party web address.
http://www.queenslandparty.org.au
The other domain address I gave merely goes to that main address now.

"what safeguards are there that this new outfit isn't going the same way as the Independents & hand all their votes over to the incompetent Labor Party."

The vast majority of members are ex-lnp who left after feeling disgruntled at the way the party was being run. They want to provide an alternative to the two party system many queenslanders have grown tired of and give members more say in leadership and policy. With members having that sort of right wing background I think it unlikely they would side with the left should they obtain the balance of power. But ofcourse there are no guarantee's about anything in politics.

Matt Snow,
so can one assume that it is not beyond the realm of possibility that it is not Anna Bligh herself who arranged yet another tactic of deceit & instigated a smokescreen outfit which then answers to her. I could easily imagine Peter the bail-out merchant Beatty to be the author of such a scheme.

I don't think any machiavellian scheme could save Anna Bligh come next March. Peter Beattie has quit politics although a few labour mp's have tottered his name about as a possible replacement for Gillard. Premierres have a difficult time trying to break through to the federal arena and ex-premierres even more so. I just hope these separate conservative entities have the good sense to put their differences aside and swap preferences come election time.

I don't think queenslanders would put up with Anna Bligh sneaking in on a technicality. There is already a lot of anger about the preferential voting system which is seen by many as an unfair mechanism for maintaining the two party system. It was flatly rejected in England.

Seriously, I doubt Anna Bligh has the intelligence to pull off such a scam.

'The vast majority of members are ex-lnp who left after feeling disgruntled at the way the party was being run.''

Was not that the case with Oakshott and Windsor who pooped on their electorates out of bitterness.