Why MP Nick McBride quit the Liberal Party

“Disunity” in the state Liberal Party has prompted state MP Nick McBride to quit and become an independent.

The Member for MacKillop, whose electorate has included Tailem Bend and the Coorong district since the 2022 election, said “factional pressures” had made it untenable to stay in the party.

“I have been a proud member of this party for more than 30 years, so this has been an extremely difficult decision for me,” he said.

“I understand some people may be disappointed with my decision, given I was elected as a Liberal member.

“I hope those people can understand I have found it increasingly difficult to represent the party that I believe is trying to ostracise one of its own.”

Statement from Nick McBride238KB ∙ PDF fileDownloadDownload

Mr McBride’s falling-out with the party began in 2020, when he suggested his protests about the impact of COVID restrictions on border residents had fallen on deaf ears.

He actually ran for the Liberal leadership after last year’s election, but lost to David Speirs.

Since then, he said, the party had undermined his supporters and pressured him into making a statement in which he denied any intention to quit.

Mr McBride’s wife Katherine attempted to unseat federal MP Tony Pasin at a preselection vote in May.

Unlike Peter Lewis in 2002, Mr McBride will not side with the Labor government.

Instead he will stay on the crossbench and contest the next election as an independent – a change he said would leave his constituents better off.

“MacKillop will be best served by an independent member who isn’t aligned to a particular party, an independent who will focus on the issues that matter in the region: affordable housing, improved health care, childcare availability, education, cost of living pressures, industry, regional roads and transport, telecommunications, energy and coastal erosion,” he said.

“In my maiden speech to parliament in 2018, I spoke of my election motto being ‘substance, not spin’.

“In the five years since being elected, I don’t believe I have wavered from that motto.

“I am tired of the games and the infighting of party politics, and I want to concentrate on working on what is good for my constituents, rather than what is good for the party.”

Locals support locals. Your support helps Murray Bridge News tell important local stories.

Liberals are disappointed, Labor is loving it

MP Adrian Pederick, who entered politics in order to win Hammond back from Mr Lewis for the Liberals, said he was disappointed at Mr McBride’s decision.

“Nick has always worked as an individual and never really embraced the team ethos,” he said.

“It’s very disappointing for all the Liberals that got in behind him, the 400 members of the (local branch), all the Liberals from Nangwarry to Pinnaroo that expect to have a Liberal looking after them and now they don’t.”

Several local party members had already expressed an interest in running against Mr McBride in 2026, Mr Pederick said.

Mr Speirs, the Liberal leader, had not yet issued a statement about Mr McBride’s decision at the time of publication.

However, senior Labor MP Tom Koutsantonis was quick to issue a gleeful statement on Thursday morning.

“That the great-grandson of Sir Philip McBride, one of the founders of the modern Liberal Party and a confidant to Sir Robert Menzies, now feels there is no place for him in the party is an indictment on its current state, and on its leadership,” Mr Koutsantonis said.

“The factional cracks are gaping for all to see.

“Not even the Liberal Party’s safest seat holder feels safe in the Liberal Party any more.”

Locals support locals. Your support helps Murray Bridge News tell important local stories.