Federal member for Calare, Andrew Gee, has resigned from the Nationals over its opposition to the Indigenous Voice Parliament and will now sit as an independent.
Gee posted his announcement to Facebook. He said the recent decision by the party to oppose the Indigenous Voice to Parliament, and witnessing the devastation in his electorate in the current flooding, brought home to him the importance of being able to stand up and be counted.
“I can’t reconcile the fact that every Australian will get a free vote on the vitally important issue of the Voice, yet National Party MPs are expected to fall into line behind a party position that I fundamentally disagree with, and vote accordingly in Parliament.”
“While I respect the views of my colleagues, this just isn’t right,” Mr Gee said.
Following his announcement, National Party MP for Gippsland, and often touted alternative leader of the Nationals, Darren Chester, said the right thing for Gee to do was resign from the parliament.
Meanwhile NSW Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg used Gee’s resignation to issue a warning to the Liberals Party Room than they must allow a conscience vote on the Voice.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he respected Mr Gee’s statement as one of principle and looked forward to working with him.
The decision increases the number of independents in the House of Representatives to 11, and the total cross bench to 17.
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