A few weeks after quitting the Liberal National Party, former Queensland premier, Campbell Newman, announced that he would stand for the senate as the leader of the Liberal Democrat ticket. At the same time, he took a swipe at the prime minister for the way the pandemic has been handled.
Mr Newman said:
“Australia needs real leadership. Strong, sensible, balanced leadership. Leadership that is brave enough to stand up to the powerful elites and bureaucrats who so casually sacrifice our freedoms.”
Mr Newman is opposed to lockdowns and has adopted a libertarian approach to the management of the pandemic.
Mr Newman said he had decided to return to politics because he had received hundreds of requests for him to make a come-back after people became disillusioned with the major parties.
“Six years ago, I declared my political career over. But I simply cannot sit by and watch Australia being so poorly led, and this crisis being so poorly managed, by our major political parties.
"I love Australia and I love Queensland. I want to represent Queensland in the Senate and hold the major parties’ feet to the fire, because right now they are all seriously letting us down.”
Mr Newman said he was making the change to the Liberal Democrats and is calling on all Australians who believe in traditional Aussie values to also make the change.
“This is not a time to take a back seat. We are all going to have to make the change happen, together.”
“Scott Morrison has, sadly, let us down with very illiberal big government over-reach. Anthony Albanese represents outdated socialism that will saddle our kids with huge debt and destroy our culture with woke nonsense and red tape. We need a return to real leadership and strong, sensible government.”
“So, I say to all Australians who are fed up with the major political parties: there is now a sensible third option you can vote for. Join with us as we grow a new political force in Australia: a principled party that fights for the battlers, fights for small business, stands up for freedom and defends traditional Aussie values; the Liberal Democrats.”
Mr Newman will be trying to win the fifth or sixth Queensland senate seat in the next election. As such, he will be in a three-cornered contest with Pauline Hanson and conservative LNP candidate Amanda Stoker. The vote will be further complicated if Clive Palmer carries through with his promise to stand candidates.
Campbell Newman is Liberal party royalty and is attempting to use that as a means to appeal to the Liberal party base.
The former Queensland Premier spoke of the traditional liberal values that drove both his parents to senior Ministerial roles in two national governments.
Campbell’s father Kevin served under Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser in numerous portfolios, while his mother Jocelyn was a Senator and Minister for Social Services in the Howard government, universally admired, and once described as the most powerful woman in Australian politics.
Mr Newman declared:
“When Robert Menzies founded the Liberal Party, he said the time was right for a new political force in Australia – one which fought for the freedom of the individual and produced enlightened liberal policies. I say the time is right – again.”
Campbell Newman could be a thorn in the side of a Coalition government for many years to come.
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