Rob Oakeshott

Rob Oakeshott was born in Lismore. His father is still a doctor in the area and his grandfather Captain John Oakeshott was a prisoner of war and survived the Sandakan Death March. So he comes from excellent stock.

Australian prisoners were sent to Sandakan in 1942 to build an airstrip. By late 1944, the allies were moving toward Borneo so the Japanese sent 2,000 Australian and British prisoners to Ranau in Bornio's interior. Weak and sick prisoners staggered 260 kilometres along jungle tracks and many died along the way. Those unable to continue were killed. Only six men - all Australians - survived and Rob Oakeshott's grandfather was one of them.

He attended Barker College and was a boarder in later years. He then studied at the University of Sydney.

Rob Oakeshott is a strange man. He's already alienated himself from the Coalition by dashing Tony Abbott's hopes of becoming Prime Minister when he went with Labor. Now he's made extraordinary allegations against the Labor Party. He says there were traitors within the party who actually wanted Tony Abbott to win. Why? Because then there would be a "bloodbath" and Julia Gillard would be severely reprimanded about the demise of Kevin Rudd, calling the election early and Labor's dissppointing election campaign. He said some ALP figures "wanted us (the independents) to choose the Liberals so they could have a bloodbath in public". But he won't name them.

The Nationals have vehmently denied his allegations of racism within their party and say that he invented his own reasons for his 2002 defection. He said that during a celebration following his election to state parliament in 1996, a senior National saw his wife who is of Pacific Island heritage and said "the party was being taken over by blacks and poofters". Undeniably an ignorant, racist remark but was it enough reason to leave the party? Maybe, maybe not.

We recently found out he approached Labor Premier Morris Iemma in 2007 and asked to be considered for a job in his ministry. He declined the offer.

Rob Oakeshot seems to be under the illusion that whenever he speaks - people are interested in what he's got to say. Last night I saw Bob Katter call him "buckshot" to his face. Unfortunately, his track record shows that he hasn't earned the respect necessary to become a credible voice.