Senator the Hon Ronald Boswell

Ron Boswell

Great sighs of relief were heard in rural Queensland when Senator Ron Boswell, the National Party’s hefty thug and head kicker since 1984 (who made so few speeches, the Clerk of the Senate forgot he existed) announced his departure from the Senate.

Boswell the deal maker, under or over the table, will retire at the next election, reportedly before he is shoved by the Brisbane Liberal Party hierarchy.

This professional bludger’s 20-year pre-occupation with nobbling any opposing political candidate who is not a billy goat gripper and poses a threat to the established order of nepotism, thuggery and deals for his mates at the big end of town, is legion throughout Queensland.

Cairns News has been told of Boswell’s intimidation whenever he has been caught out misrepresenting the truth, by making late night, threatening calls to political opponents or businessmen, one nasty incident occurring only six months ago.

When One Nation got off the ground, gaining much traction in ‘traditional’ National Party heartland, Boswell was let off the chain to attack Pauline Hanson and her supporters.

He and his ilk, namely Warren Truss, ruined the dairy industry causing dozens of suicides in the sector. He has many questions to answer after deregulating industries and privatising public utilities then overseeing the decimation of primary producers and small business throughout the nation.

It was Boswell as leader of the Nationals in the Senate who backed the Liberals introduction of Agenda 21, the UNs sustainable environment policy and the forerunner of Queenslands Vegetation Management Act and other nasty environmental laws which were the final nail in the coffin for graziers and farmers.

It is Boswell who supports the devastating coal seam gas industry, lock, stock and barrel, against the wishes of his traditional farm constituents.

It was Boswell who, in the 90’s, inveigled himself into the Mt Gravatt headquarters of the Assembly of God church, which had shown some endearment towards Pauline Hansons policies.

Boswell eventually managed to turn the church and its many thousands of members against Hanson.

In 2004, senior members of the National Party from western Queensland contacted One Nation Senator Len Harris’ office asking for help to get rid of Boswell, according to former staff.

“The electoral council members said they did not want him pre-selected for the Senate because he was ‘worse than useless’, and that they  ‘did not trust him’  “, a staffer told Cairns News.

“There was little we could do to help them”, the staffer said.

Boswell is no stranger to dodgy political peccadillos. In 1987 he arranged a meeting with a former NP member, a farmer, who had jumped ship to the newly formed Citizens Electoral Council, according to a former CEC spokesman.

“Boswell arrived in Goondiwindi the day before we were to meet him and next day he met us offering a new fax machine asking if we would spy on the CEC”, the source said.

“He told us to fax him with any important information about CEC activities, but we told him we are honourable members and we are not interested, and would not accept the fax”.

When it comes to integrity as a politician Boswell has not got a feather to fly with.

from Robert J Lee in Goondiwindi