IN MacKillop, which remains one of the safest seats in South Australia, the greatest contest in an election is over who will become the Liberal Party’s candidate.
When Conmurra grazier Nick McBride was chosen from a field of seven candidates, there was little doubt he would be the next Member for MacKillop.
Sunday marked one year since Mr McBride was easily elected to the seat and became MacKillop’s first MP to serve in government in 16 years.
“I consider myself lucky, but there are also consequences and a huge learning curve of being elected to government,” Mr McBride said.
“If you come into opposition, you have an opportunity to learn the ropes.
“Being in government we have had to learn them a lot quicker.
“One of the things I have had to learn is to allow Ministers and the Premier to call the shots more than I anticipated.
“That has probably brought another level of respect and patience into the role that I did not think I would need going straight into government.”
Among the big shots called by Cabinet in the first week of government was a ministerial direction to ban fracking for 10 years in the South East.
Moves to slash the Emergency Service Levy, repeal the Natural Resources Management Act and introduction of regional boards followed shortly after.
However, Mr Bride and the Liberals’ honeymoon was short lived after a shaky start on the flagship shop trading hour deregulation reform, which wedged the rookie MP between the community and his party.
Mr McBride publicly declared he would vote with the Liberal Party to deregulate shop trading hours despite earlier vowing to fight to retain the measures in the party room.
Months later, Mr McBride and three other first term MPs crossed the floor in a rare and unprecedented move after arguing their party’s new mining legislation did not address issues between farmers and industry.
He would not be drawn to comment on whether he would have crossed the floor on shop trading hours if the legislation made it onto the floor of the lower house, simply saying the issue was a “political football”.
Mr McBride faced another hurdle when mounting community pressure sought to enshrine the decade-long ban on fracking in law, with activists seeking assurance the ban would not be overturned in the event of a Labor Government.
A bill to legislate the ban was initially not supported by the Liberals, but when reintroduced to Parliament by Mount Gambier MP Troy Bell, it passed.
During a parliamentary speech, Mining Minister Dan van Holst Pellekaan praised Mr McBride for his advocacy on the issue.
“It was disappointing for a MP battling for my constituents that we were only going to move a ministerial directive,” Mr McBride said.
“I expressed on many occasions to Cabinet, the party room and the minister that it did not have the teeth the community was looking for.
“There was a certain amount of angst, but with intense lobbying and the 3000 signatures in support the moratorium was enshrined in law.”
The same week, the Liberals delivered their first budget in 17 years which saw millions of dollars flow into the South East for upgrades to Kingston’s aged care service, funding for two Country Fire Service stations and the long-awaited Penola bypass.
“The bypass is a wonderful thing to have completed after nearly 60 years of discussion,” Mr McBride said.
“I hope the town of Penola will become a potential Hahndorf and be a tourist mecca for people coming to the town and Coonawarra.
“Without having the heavy transport going through, it will be a much better place for those engagements and experiences to take place.”
Mr McBride said the establishment of regional health boards, extending funding for the Community Paramedic Service and changes to roadside native vegetation rules were notable highlights over his first 12 months.
He said the Liberals’ election promise to reinstate 110kph speed limits on Clay Wells Road would be a priority of his into the next year.
“I am frequently contacted about this and I understand the transport department is looking at ways to undertake additional works where needed to return to 110kph speed limits,” he said.
“I am also a strong advocate of increasing the speed limit between Salt Creek and Meningie and on the road between Bordertown and the Victorian border.
“If I had the opportunity, I would return all the speed limits without the road upgrades and install warning signs outlining the risk.”
