He once loved the Liberals so much that he drove around with a John Howard corflute stuck to his work van.
asserted
he → love → van
But former state MP Nathaniel Smith has joined the growing list of former NSW Liberals gunning for a spot on One Nation’s upper house ticket and is seeking to demonstrate his value to his new colleagues by showing off his fundraising skills.
asserted
Smith → join → skills
Smith, the former Wollondilly MP who lost his seat to independent Judy Hannan at the last election, will host an “exclusive private lunch” fundraiser with Mike Newman, the populist party’s leader, next month.
asserted
who → lose → Newman
In a text message from Smith to potential invitees — including other One Nation-curious former Liberals — he states the going rate is $2000 a head.
asserted
rate → include → Liberals
On social media, Smith, who also ran unsuccessfully for the Liberals in the seat of Whitlam last year’s federal election, has spruiked another upcoming fundraiser with Newman in Oran Park.
asserted
who → run → Park
“Do yourself a favour and book in for this event!” he wrote.
asserted
he → do → event
The former MP, whose father, Greg Smith, was NSW attorney-general under Liberal premier Barry O’Farrell, did not respond to requests for comment.
asserted
father → respond → comment
However, multiple sources said Smith was understood to be among a crowded field of former Liberals jockeying for a spot on One Nation’s upper house ticket at the March election.
asserted
Smith → say → election
The Herald has previously reported that a conga line of former Liberal MPs are vying to run for the party next year, belying the populist party’s anti-establishment narrative.
asserted
line → report → narrative
They include former federal Senator Hollie Hughes, former Warringah candidate Katherine Deves and former NSW upper house MP Lou Amato.
asserted
They → include → Hughes
It marks a dramatic shift for Smith.
asserted
It → mark → Smith
As recently as March, he attended a 30th anniversary celebration of Howard’s election and praised his “good friend” Matt Canavan’s elevation as federal Nationals leader, calling it “our best chance, with Angus Taylor, of getting back on top again”.
asserted
he → attend → top
The influx of ex-Liberals into the party is prompting growing frustration for some of the One Nation faithful, as well as its backers.
asserted
influx → prompt → faithful
Joanna Howe, a prominent anti-abortion activist, last week hit out at the influx of former politicians into One Nation, warning that letting “too many ex-Libs” in would “destroy the party”.
asserted
letting → hit → party
Howe is not a member of One Nation — she donated $2000 to the NSW Liberal Party last year — but she has a large conservative following on social media, and she has conducted a series of podcast interviews with Pauline Hanson.
asserted
she → donate → Hanson
She also hosted Newman at a rally in Sydney last month.
asserted
She → host → Sydney
“One Nation needs to reject applicants from ex-Libs or career politicians/staffers,” she wrote.
asserted
she → need → Libs
“They need real people with ordinary jobs to create a new breed of politician in Australia.”
asserted
They → need → Australia
Howe was responding to comments from former Victorian Liberal candidate Colleen Harkin, who is now One Nation’s deputy leader in that state, saying the party would “not touch the abortion laws”.
asserted
party → respond → laws
The party’s federal charter states the party will “roll back brutal and extreme abortion law”, including reducing gestational limits on abortion and banning sex-selective abortion.
asserted
party → state → abortion
She said Newman had been rebuked after he went further than the federal party policy in his comments at her rally — saying the party wanted to see abortion rights “stopped” — but Harkin had not.
asserted
Harkin → say → rally
“It takes years to build a reputation and only seconds to destroy it,” she wrote.
asserted
she → take → it
Though she was referring to the Victorian election, Howe’s comments reflect a growing concern within some of the party at the influx of ex-Liberals into One Nation’s ranks.
asserted
comments → refer → ranks
The exodus of Liberals to One Nation has prompted feverish speculation about the potential for further defections.
asserted
exodus → prompt → defections
On Friday, right faction Liberal Tanya Davies was forced to deny she would join One Nation after she announced she would not contest the next election.
asserted
she → force → election
The Herald is aware of at least one other former Liberal MP — who is still a member of the party — being linked to a potential shift.
asserted
who → link → shift
Newman declined to comment on Smith’s potential candidacy as the party is still in the selection process.
asserted
party → decline → process
However, he said he wanted candidates from a wide range of backgrounds.
asserted
he → say → backgrounds
“The most important thing for me is that people bleed orange; that’s the No.1 criteria,” he said.
asserted
he → bleed → orange
“The biggest problem we face in government is that there are too many people who are career politicians.
asserted
who → face → government
It doesn’t matter if you’re an ex-Liberal or ex-National or whatever, it’s what do you bring to the party?
asserted
you → matter → party
The Aporia
