qld coalition amalgamation turns into fight

There is uproar in the Queensland Liberal Party tonight after a successful move to postpone this weekend's planned amalgamation with the Nationals.

Liberal Party Queensland president Mal Brough - backed by federal president Alan Stockdale - convinced party officials to delay Saturday's conference.

Angry state council members emerged from the meeting shouting insults and accusing Mr Brough of wrecking the merger plans.

Liberal Party Queensland parliamentary leader Mark McArdle - who is in favour of the amalgamation - has hinted at court action to have the meeting declared invalid.

"I sense that there will be further action taken tomorrow. Legal documentation and legal opinion was tabled, and I gained the impression there tonight that action may well be taken in the courts tomorrow morning," he said.

Going into the meeting several council members expressed their disgust that Mr Brough would seek to delay the weekend conference, but he says he was obliged to put the facts on the table.

"This meeting is needed because state council needs to understand we have not heard back - either myself or the federal president Alan Stockdale - from the National Party's Mr McIvor, who undertook to come back to us as late as yesterday on the range of proposals that we have put to the National party to try and break this impasse," he said.

It comes about 36 hours before the two parties were due to vote on the historic amalgamation at a conference on Saturday.

A group of protesters gathered outside the Queensland Liberal Party headquarters, where the meeting was being held.

Liberal member Loraine Blades was unhappy at the prospect of the merger being delayed.

"I'm angry at these people up here who have absolutely ignored the membership of the Liberal Party," she said.

Dave R