▁Lawrence ▁Spring borg ▁advoc ated ▁mer ger ▁of ▁the ▁National ▁and ▁Liberal ▁parties ▁at ▁a ▁state ▁level ▁in ▁order ▁to ▁present ▁a ▁more ▁effective ▁opposition ▁to ▁the ▁Labor ▁Party . ▁Pre viously ▁this ▁plan ▁had ▁been ▁dismiss ed ▁by ▁the ▁Queensland ▁branch ▁of ▁the ▁Liberal ▁party , ▁but ▁the ▁idea ▁received ▁in - pr inci ple ▁support ▁from ▁the ▁Liber als . ▁Federal ▁leader ▁Mark ▁Va ile ▁stated ▁the ▁National s ▁will ▁not ▁merge ▁with ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁at ▁a ▁federal ▁level . ▁The ▁plan ▁was ▁opposed ▁by ▁key ▁Queensland ▁Sen ators ▁Ron ▁Bos well ▁and ▁Bar nab y ▁Joy ce , ▁and ▁was ▁sc utt led ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 6 . ▁After ▁suffering ▁defeat ▁in ▁the ▁ 2 0 0 6 ▁Queensland ▁poll , ▁Lawrence ▁Spring borg ▁was ▁replaced ▁by ▁Jeff ▁Se en ey , ▁who ▁indicated ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁interested ▁in ▁mer ging ▁with ▁the ▁Liberal ▁Party ▁until ▁the ▁issue ▁is ▁seriously ▁raised ▁at ▁a ▁Federal ▁level . ▁ ▁In ▁September ▁ 2 0 0 8 , ▁Joy ce ▁replaced ▁C LP ▁Senator ▁and ▁National s ▁deput y ▁leader ▁N ig el ▁Sc ull ion ▁as ▁leader ▁of ▁the ▁National s ▁in ▁the ▁Senate , ▁and ▁stated ▁that ▁his ▁party ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁house ▁would ▁no ▁longer ▁necessarily ▁vote ▁with ▁their ▁Liberal ▁counter parts ▁in ▁the ▁upper ▁house , ▁which ▁opened ▁up ▁another ▁possible ▁a venue ▁for ▁the ▁Rud d ▁Labor ▁Government ▁to ▁get ▁legisl ation ▁through . ▁Joy ce ▁was ▁elected ▁leader ▁in ▁a ▁party - room ▁ball