I am so over merger talks.  It’s like an instant dose of Dozile the minute I hear about it.

What I am now firmly convinced of, is that Lawrence Springborg, seems to have found the one instant way to get publicity and be in the news more than Blight is to mention a merger.  I’m starting to get a little bit cynical about him using his position for much other than progressing his own agenda in this matter.

The rumor mill on this topic started again just over a year ago when apparently the Nationals had voted on the issue in favour of merging.  Springborg announced that the Liberals had done the same.  The Liberals had not done the same, their management committee had voted to commence discussions with the Nationals.

In the mean time, from what I can gather, the general sentiment in the Liberal party has been that they support a coalition, not a merger.  And I have to say if there is any one who has not been able to stick to a coalition agreement in Qld, it’s Springborg, not the Liberals.  Let’s face it, most Liberal state MP’s are too juvenile not to (not even being able to vote on a leader in a reasonable amount of time).  I am of the opinion that the conservative parties will be more factionalised and dysfunctional than even the Labor party if they merge prematurely – ie before they can agree on and behave within the bounds of a coalition agreement.

Today Springborg and one federal Liberal MP is criticising the Qld Liberals for referring the issue to their federal party.  A move which has been justified as necessary as the party constitution mandates decisions such as this one be referred to the federal party.  I hate to say it, but criticising someone for following due course is not endearing at all.  Although I realise it may upset Springborg as it takes the power out of his hands, not only in terms of timelines, but also in terms of the people he will now have to negotiate with.  Although I’m sure he and his supporters could see it coming.

Springborg, like Seeney before him has also said that he will push on and form his own party if the merger does not proceed.  I’ve also noticed he’s started promoting himself even more lately – with TV advertisements to add to the desktop pictures and screensavers that you could already download from the website.  I think that he should go ahead with the idea for a few reasons.  The first one being that he has no idea what needs to be done behind closed doors and what should be done in public.  If this merger fails, he will bring the coalition and himself into even further disrepute (and I know the cynics out there will be quick to say that was not possible, but to those who haven’t voted Labor all their life, occasionally the Libs and the Nats do hit the right note).  Secondly, I am highly sceptical that the merger will proceed and if he really has his heart set on a new party, he should push on with it.  Both the Liberals and the Nationals have very distinctive policies, branding and constituents.  And the constituents and rank and file in particular, don’t buy into each other’s ideas and discourses easily.  Finally, I think that Springborg is showing the signs of a somewhat over inflated ego (not quite in the vicinity of Beattie, but definitely closely modelled on it).  Whilst I would hate to loose one of the best coalition leaders that the Qld Liberals and Nationals have had, a failed attempt at forming a new party may serve as just downer he needs to avoid continuing the arrogance of the previous state government into the next.

So I do have an opinion on the topic, but I formed it a while ago and I’m just completely over Springborg and the Press recycling this story every time there’s nothing else going on.  It’s like the perpetual slow news day story.