Mr Macfarlane said he hoped his long relationship with Mr Turnbull would continue.

"Malcolm and I have been very close for a long time and going right back to when he was leader of the Opp so I'd be hopeful that that relationship would continue and I'll serve in whatever portfolio he asks me to serve in," he said.

http://www.thechronicle.com.au/news/macfarlanes-vote-key-turnbulls-leadership-victory/2774667/

Initially sceptical of man-made climate change, Macfarlane had been convinced of the need for a price on carbon. He worked his guts out to get a deal despite most of colleagues turning against an ETS.

When Abbott challenged Turnbull for the leadership that year, Macfarlane voted for Turnbull. In this year's leadership ballot he again backed Turnbull – and expected to continue on as Industry Minister or in a new ministry.

Yet Turnbull cut him loose.

Announcing his cabinet reshuffle in September, Turnbull described Macfarlane as "one of my very, very best friends in this place". But he needed to make way so talented younger MPs could shine and the party could be renewed.

After 17 years in Parliament – including 10 in cabinet – it seemed Macfarlane's time was up. Most expected him to quit politics altogether.

But his ambition and anger had been underestimated. After weeks of plotting, Macfarlane stunned the political community by announcing on Thursday that he was defecting to the National Party.

And not just that – he wants to return to the frontbench as well.

Nicknamed the "chainsaw" for his husky voice, Macfarlane had been written off before.

In 2003 he had radiation treatment for throat cancer, leading many to think retirement was imminent.

He admitted this made him "pretty angry".

"I heard all these rumours – it was just an extra reason to come back, just to disappoint them," he said at the time.

While not without foes, Macfarlane is well-respected on both sides of politics. Labor's Penny Wong praised Macca, as he's universally known, as a "straight shooter" for the way he handled the ETS negotiations.

But now his Queensland Liberal Party colleagues are furious at their former mate, accusing him of disloyalty and selfishness. 

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/ian-macfarlane-and-malcolm-turnbull-how-the-friendship-went-sour-20151204-glfrxv.html#ixzz3tPNSsBXF 
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Would Malcolm have made a secret deal with Macfarlane to take over some breathing space within the Nationals? See the ruse... But doing the switcharoola, Macfarlane could still be doing the bidding for Malcolm while most of the Nationals were in love with Tony... Some could call Macfarlane as a Trojan horse from the Liberal Party invading the Nationals' territories... OOOps. I better go and wash my mouth off...

Guess who could replace Mal Brough as the Minister for truth and good behaviour...?

George Brandis has accused his former cabinet colleague Ian Macfarlane of “gaming the system” and keeping local branch members in the dark about his defection plans when he was re-endorsed just two weeks ago.

The attorney general and leader of the government in the Senate said Macfarlane was improperly trying to force Malcolm Turnbull to bring on a cabinet reshuffle by swapping from the Liberals to the Nationals in a scheme that had “left a very bad taste in people’s mouths"...

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/06/brandis-accuses-macfarlane-of-gaming-the-system-in-defection-to-nationals

Simple for Turnbull: sack Brough and replace him with Macfarlane... Piece of cake.

The Groom federal divisional council in Toowoomba agreed by a strong majority on Saturday to allow the former Liberal industry minister to sit in the Nationals party room in Canberra.

Macfarlane announced he was switching to the Nationals at the beginning of December, two-and-a-half months after he was dumped from cabinet by the newly-installed prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull.

The MP for Groom has become the first LNP member to seek a change in party room.

Members of the local council voted 102 in support of Macfarlane and 35 against at Saturday’s meeting.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/12/ian-macfarlanes-decision-to-switch-to-nationals-endorsed-by-his-lnp-branch

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Political parties do have their secret inside men or women inside other political parties. Nothing new. But this one switch is so overt that it defies the political intrigue...

Ian Macfarlane’s controversial bid to defect from the Liberal to the National party has been blocked by the LNP executive.

The Queensland LNP said in a statement issued on Monday afternoon: “The LNP will not be supporting Ian Macfarlane’s intention to move to the Nationals party room in Canberra.”

The LNP president, Gary Spence, said the decision had been made by the state executive “after taking into consideration the best interests of the LNP in Queensland”.

“While LNP members of the Groom electorate voted to support Mr Macfarlane’s decision, the interests of our party beyond his electorate were taken into account,” he said.

“In rejecting Ian’s request to move to the Nationals’ party room, the LNP acknowledges his enormous contribution to our party and importantly to the people of Groom and Australia.”

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/14/lnp-blocks-ian-macfarlane-bid-defect-liberals-nationals

It is Gus' guess that the LNP saw through the trick of implanting a Liberal (KONservative) inside the Nationals to get him back into the ministry as a Turnbull stooge. Thus, it costs nothing to butter the peanut, if you know what I mean, with praise about his contribution to the national bizzo.

Tony Windsor believes the same about what Gus believed about the Macfarlane switch... read from top..

Page extract from The Saturday Paper. Read the whole fascinating article by Tony Windsor in The Saturday Paper

Ian Macfarlane, the former cabinet minister who unsuccessfully tried to defect from the Liberals to the Nationals, will bow out of parliament at the next election.

Macfarlane served as the minister for industry and science in Tony Abbott’s government and was dumped from the frontbench shortly after the leadership change in September despite being a long-time friend of Malcolm Turnbull.

Late last year he tried to move to the Nationals party room and indicated he wanted to return to cabinet, but the switch was blocked by the Queensland Liberal National Party (LNP) state executive.

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/15/ian-macfarlane-to-quit-parliament-at-next-election-after-failed-nationals-defection