NSW: South Australians "may not have wanted Stott Despoja"

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NSW: South Australians "may not have wanted Stott Despoja"

SYDNEY, Feb 11 AAP - Australian Democrats leader Natasha Stott Despoja may have goneoverseas during the South Australian election campaign because she was not wanted, formerparty leader John Coulter said today.

Senator Stott Despoja has attracted criticism for going to New York for the World EconomicForum with her boyfriend businessman Ian Smith, interrupting campaigning for the partyin South Australia.

The Democrats' poor showing in Saturday's state poll has forced Senator Stott Despojato announce a major revamp of her party's policy and direction.

Dr Coulter said it was surprising and peculiar that the leader of the Democrats hadgone overseas during the election campaign.

However, this may have been explained by her lack of support in the state, he suggested.

"She doesn't have the uniform support of other members of parliament across Australiaand it may be ... that she was in New York because South Australians didn't want her,"

he told ABC radio.

"It certainly was peculiar for her to be away and not be in South Australia".

When asked about a change of leadership Dr Coulter said there was no-one to replacesenator Stott Despoja and there would not be any challenge in the near future becauseshe had been unopposed in the recent leadership ballot.

However, there may well be challenges in the longer term, he said.

"When I look at the senators that are in there I don't see that there's anybody betterthan Natasha at the moment," he said.

"But she needs to be stronger, she needs to work out exactly where she's going andwhere the party's going," he said.

Dr Coulter said the Democrats had lost their way philosophically.

"They're being far more pragmatic in just picking up issues and running with them,they're trying to be much more politically proper and politically correct," he said.

AAP jjs/sp/ns/bwl

KEYWORD: POLLSA COULTER