Liberal MPs past and present have mixed feelings as they digest the political reality of Martin Hamilton-Smith’s decision to become an independent member of Jay Weatherill’s Labor ministry.

From “crazy brave” to “gutless treachery”, the reactions tend to reflect personal relationships with the man who led their party in 2007 to 2009.

The factional warriors are furious, the unaligned centre MPs see a need for change and new MPs are confounded and disillusioned.

InDaily has spoken to MPs from across the party – most want to remain off the record, others are willing to step out and keep wielding the baseball bat.

As Opposition Leader Steven Marshall flew out yesterday to New Zealand the conversations began in earnest.

“We’ve been told not to contact Martin, but I want to talk to him,” said one established MP.

“He will leave an enormous hole in the Shadow Cabinet’s policy capability.

“How we respond to this will define our future prospects.

“We need change, otherwise I’ve wasted my years in parliament.

“In that sense I can understand what Martin’s done, but I’m still gutted.

“The party now needs to focus on a positive outcome, to learn a lesson from this and perhaps go back to what Martin showed us in 2008 and 2009, that a battle of ideas can only be waged if you have a strong policy base.”

Another MP said he used to “read Tom Richardson’s column in InDaily about the lack of policies and small target strategy and I used to worry about that”.

“If that type of tactic doesn’t change then we will have learned nothing.”

One former ally of the Hamilton-Smith leadership said the party had lost someone “with exceptional capabilities and qualities”.

“Some of our less active members will need to step up to the policy plate; too few do the heavy lifting.”

One former colleague had an opposing view.

Mitch Williams, who himself left the Liberal Party in the late 1990s to stand as an Independent before later re-joining, said today the loss of Hamilton-Smith was a positive.

“I rang Steven Marshall and told him its was the best thing to happen to the party in 10 years,” he told 891 ABC Adelaide’s breakfast program today.

“This guy has been a serial challenger, so good riddance.”

Williams had launched his own short-lived leadership challenge in 2009 when Hamilton-Smith was Opposition Leader.

He said today the party was “more united than ever.”

New member for Mitchell, Corey Wingard, issued a statement that echoed the Mitch Williams line.

“Martin Hamilton-Smith’s treacherous defection to Premier Jay Weatherill’s dysfunctional Labor Cabinet is the best thing that could have happened to the South Australian Liberal Party,” the first-term Liberal MP said.

“If you’re not honourable, trustworthy and committed to South Australia’s best interests, then we don’t want you in our united team. It’s as simple as that.

“If you’re not part of the solution, then you’re part of the problem and Mr Hamilton-Smith has shown he’s part of the problem.”

However, a range of MPs have told InDaily that the party needs to change its strategic approach.

That view was echoed by one senior party official, who said he was seeing a repeat of previous strategic errors.

“Remember 2002 when the party spent more than $400,000 pursuing Peter Lewis through the court?

“In the end John Howard had to tell them to drop it and get on with it.

“Now we are seeing the same venomous pursuit of Martin.

“That’s not a wise move. In fact it’s mystifying.

“What if they need his vote in 2018? They’re almost ruling that out now which just repeats the Lewis, Bob Such, Karlene Maywald errors.”

Former Liberal Premier Rob Kerin, who in 2001 appointed Hamilton-Smith to a ministerial role, said he could understand Hamilton-Smith’s decision but was unsure about its outcome.

Kerin was Premier for five months and then Opposition Leader for four years from 2002 to 2006 after Independent MP and former Liberal Peter Lewis opted to back a Rann Labor Government in a hung parliament.

“That’s the way the cookie crumble I guess,” he told InDaily.

“I can understand where Martin’s head is at, but I’m not sure how it will all work out.

“He seems to think he can contribute; we’ll see.”

Kerin has had advisory roles to governments of all persuasions, specialising in regional development issues.

He was recently appointed to the re-vamped Economic Development Board which has a brief to advise Cabinet on post-Holden jobs plans and WorkCover reforms.

The board meets next week.