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Showing posts from May, 1997

Freedom to speak his own mind

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Edition 1SUN 11 MAY 1997, Page 133 Freedom to speak his own mind By RICHARD FARMER   A PARTY leader who deliberately turns his back on ministerial office is an unusual politician -and Ron Boswell is just that. Although the National Party leader in the Upper House, Senator Boswell is not the minister for anything. He has chosen the greater independence of not being restricted by the concept of collective Cabinet responsibility to the perks and pay of high office. When he speaks, Senator Boswell wants to be able to speak his own mind -and he's not reticent about doing just that. Not that the senior Queensland senator is some oddball rebel. His freedom of speech is exercised with restraint and normally he is as reliable a vote as the Coalition Government can get. Senator Boswell is as good a conservative as they come, but occasionally he feels the need to fire a verbal broadside at his colleagues who have chosen the conventional route to political influence by joining the ministry.