The Liberal Party and its forebears have always given their members the right to speak out, particularly backbenchers.

South Australian Robert Hill spent 10 years as leader of the government in the senate despite crossing the floor 10 times earlier in his career. It’s an honourable tradition, or was.

By carpeting Craig Kelly earlier this month, Prime Minister Scott Morrison effectively denied him of that right to exercise his conscience, a right that has distinguished the anti-Labor parties from the ALP for over a century.