I’ll put community ahead of One Nation, new MP promises
Member for Hammond Robert Roylance has offered some insights into his plans for the next four years at a business breakfast in Murray Bridge.
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If push comes to shove, Robert Roylance’s allegiance will be to “the communities who voted me in” ahead of One Nation, the new MP says.
The state Member for Hammond made the remark at a breakfast event in Murray Bridge on Wednesday.
Asked if One Nation would let its MPs vote according to their consciences, Mr Roylance said yes, that was allowed.
“If there comes across a bill, an amendment, something really important, I’m going to be asking the community first,” he said.
“If that’s contradicted on the party line, I have to side with the communities who voted me in.
“Obviously there’s going to be things that (One Nation) recommend and they want to push, and I joined One Nation because I support those policies … but if there’s something that’s pushing hard in the community and they want this, and it’s not what the party says, I’ll vote with what the community wants.”
Toeing a party line has been a problem for many previous One Nation MPs.
Upper house MP Sarah Game quit the party during SA’s last parliamentary term, and all 11 MPs elected in the biggest victory in One Nation’s history – in Queensland in 1998 – left within 18 months.
Mr Roylance was the guest speaker at Wednesday’s business breakfast at the Bridgeport Hotel, presented by Murray Bridge News.
Guests heard about his upbringing in Mannum and schooling at Cabra Dominican College; his work as an apprentice furniture maker, ferry driver and distiller; his time in the Army Reserve, “an experience that I believe every young gentleman needs to embrace”; and the six years he spent in China.
“I learnt a fair bit about people,” he said of his overseas experience.
“China’s a very complicated place, not for the faint of heart or the ill prepared.”
Since returning to the Murraylands, his interest in politics had been sparked by conversations with disillusioned Coalition voters on the Walker Flat ferry, he said.
In his words, there came a point when he realised the cavalry was not coming.
“You’re looking around for some charismatic leader, and it’s like, who am I? I’m just a working class guy, I shouldn’t have the right to stick my hand up … but if I didn’t, then who?”
Why had he joined a “racist” party like One Nation, an audience member asked?
“I didn’t join a racist party,” he said.
“We asked for a capped migration level for a period of time … whilst demand is outstripping supply, and you’ve got less than a one per cent vacancy rate for rentals.”
Attacks on One Nation were based on fear from the political and media establishment, he suggested, not reality.
Only a week earlier, after a crash course in parliamentary procedures with South Australia’s other rookie MPs, Mr Roylance had taken his seat on a back bench in the House of Assembly.
“Sitting in the chamber for the first day, you feel really humbled – just wow,” he said.
Political theatre was one thing, but getting to know MPs on both sides of the house on a personal level had been a fantastic experience.
He described his One Nation colleagues as a close-knit team of everyday people who were learning together under experienced leader Corey Bernardi.
He had had positive early discussions with Health Minister Blair Boyer and Infrastructure and Transport Minister Joe Szakacs around Labor’s promises to Murray Bridge, too, he said.
Back on the home front, his electorate office at 20 Mannum Road, Murray Bridge was now open.
However, he declined to identify any of the staff members who had started work on his team.
“I’m going to be the face, and I wouldn’t dare put (them) in front of media or whatever,” he said.
Mr Roylance is scheduled to make his maiden speech in parliament, setting out his vision for his political career, next Wednesday.
