## Nationals MP Ben Franklin Facing Expulsion from Party Over Potential Lucrative Role in NSW Parliament
Key Highlights :
Nationals MP Ben Franklin is facing expulsion from his party after Premier Chris Minns backed a bid from Mr Franklin, a close friend, to become upper house president in the NSW parliament. The move has caused a schism in the NSW Nationals, with party leader Paul Toole describing the situation as "distressing" and saying it would be a betrayal of the coalition.
The president does not vote on bills, so the deal would effectively give Labor control of the Legislative Council. The job comes with a $315,814 annual pay packet as well as numerous perks including additional staff, a car and driver. Mr Toole said he had spoken with Mr Franklin but was unable to secure an assurance that his party colleague would not nominate for the role.
"I think many people in the party would actually see that as a very concerning situation ... and it could be seen as disloyalty," Mr Toole told Sydney radio station 2GB on Thursday. "It actually takes us one vote down and that is the most distressing thing here," he said.
The crisis has prompted the Nationals to call a snap party room meeting on Thursday morning, when MPs will also discuss referring the matter to the Independent Commission Against Corruption. In a thinly veiled threat, Mr Toole said any decision would be scrutinised by the Nationals' party room and state executive, which has the power to expel Mr Franklin from the party.
"We want to get on with the job of actually holding the government to account," Mr Toole said. "When you're talking about every vote in the upper house, it's going to be tight. We need everybody on the floor."
Mr Franklin has not publicly spoken on the matter but was seen meeting with Nationals colleague Adam Marshall and former Labor MP Adam Searle at a bar near parliament on Wednesday. The premier endorsed him for the role on the same day, saying he would instruct his own party room to elect a non-government member for the job. The Greens, who have four members in the upper house, also favour electing a non-government member. In the lower house, independent MP Greg Piper is expected to take the equivalent role of speaker.
The situation has created a dilemma for Mr Franklin, who must decide whether to accept the role and potentially face expulsion from the Nationals, or refuse the role and risk offending the premier and his close friend. It is also a difficult situation for the Nationals, who must decide whether to expel one of their own in order to maintain the coalition agreement with the Liberal Party.
Whatever the outcome, it is clear that the situation has caused a great deal of turmoil within the party, and it will be interesting to see how the Nationals and Mr Franklin handle the situation in the coming days. The future of the coalition may depend on it.
