NSW election 2023: Perrottet failed to overcome a toxic Liberal brand

Despite his best efforts over the course of the campaign Dominic Perrottet, who has now resigned as Liberal leader, could not overcome the biggest obstacle he faced – his own political party.

In the end, the fate of the Liberals was left up to one person – Dominic Perrottet.

Such was the damage to the brand after the Scott Morrison government era, it was left up to the premier to convince voters to stick with the party – even if it meant visiting a seat every hour to support new candidates in the hope his high personal rating would outweigh the perceptions association with the Liberal brand.

The fallout from the former federal government included the Chinese vote – with one senior Liberal noting how the good relationship state government had with the community had been “blown up” by the decision in Canberra to start a war.

“It was all left up to Dom,” one veteran Liberal said.

“And he fought to the end – like Sylvester Stallone charging through as bombs dropped from the sky, blowing up around him.”

Dominic Perrottet had to fight against the toxic Liberals brand in the community. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Monique Harmer

Many of those bombs being dropped were from within his own party during the preselection process, including the nude photo scandal that claimed Liberal Upper House candidate Peter Poulos.

There was also the debacle that was the Castle Hill preselection, which ultimately cost Mr Perrottet his transport minister David Elliott.

And, weeks before polls opened, there was talk of a video of a Liberal candidate snorting coke at a function. The Liberal member with the video claimed to have been threatened should it be released to the public.

Nude photo scandal claimed Peter Polulous. Picture: NCA Newswire /Gaye Gerard

Former premier Mike Baird pointed to the party also repeating the preselection mistakes of the federal election.

“The party has let Dom down and the government,” Mr Baird said.

Such is the lack of discipline among members of the NSW Liberal Party executive that both Liberal state director Chris Stone and party president Maria Kovacic recently gave them a stern talking-to.

Castle Hill preselection cost David Elliott a seat. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Gaye Gerard

One senior party member told The Sunday Telegraph before polls closed that, whatever the result, members would push for changes in both the party office and also in repairing the brand.

This was especially the case given the party’s preselections were again “a debacle” despite Mr Perrottet vowing that the Liberals had learned their lessons from what had happened federally.

“ScoMo, Kean, the preselection shitshow … after the election, there will be a very big push for constitutional reform,” he said.

“We should also close all the loopholes that allow the rules to be broken or avoided in candidate selections.”

It has been speculated Mr Stone may leave after this election. It is understood he had to be convinced to stay on after the federal election, while some also believe Ms Kovacic may head to Canberra.

Mr Perrottet is also unlikely to stick around, with some Liberals speculating that he would be “gone within three months”.

DOM RESIGNS AFTER WIPEOUT

By Lachlan Leeming

Embattled Dominic Perrottet resigned the Liberal leadership last night, saying it was time for a fresh start.

The outgoing premier uses his gracious concession speech to thank voters, congratulate Chris Minns and step down .

“As leader of the parliamentary Liberal Party, I take full responsibility for the loss this evening,” Mr Perrottet said. “And, as a result I will be standing down as the parliamentary leader. We need a fresh start for the Liberal Party.”

His supporters rowdily booed. Mr Perrottet halso ad a surprising message for how NSW should receive the man who vanquished him, Chris Minns.

“Get behind him,” Mr Perrottet told his supporters during his concession speech at Sydney’s Hilton Hotel.

“Because when NSW goes well our country goes well,” said in his gracious speech.

Mr Perrottet also acknowledged the style of campaign that Mr Mimms ran in leading the Labor Party our of the wilderness and into government for the first time in 12 years.

“I believe that he will lead with the same decency and the same integrity that he has led with so far,” Mr Perrottet said.

Dominic Perrottet steps down as Liberal leader. Picture: NCA Newswire/ Monique Harmer

From the moment results starting to roll in, it wasn’t good news for the Liberal Party, with the first batch of results immediately casting a gloomy silence at their post-campaign party.

A small band of party loyalists stood in the mostly empty ballroom of the plush hotel quietly watching on as big screens played the news which confirmed their party was heading rapidly towards being dumped from power after 12 years running the state.

Shortly after TV channels began calling the result a Labor win, the sound was switched off, and by 8.30pm the live streams were cut off, replaced by the Liberal Party slogan being projected silently onto the big screen.

By 9.30pm, not a single Coalition MP had shown up to the function, with the room instead starting to fill with party supporters and volunteers still donning their Liberal party shirts after spending the day handing out how to vote cards at polling booths across the city. Instead MPs and candidates hunkered down in their own electorates, as the extent of the statewide swing against the party became apparent.

Even Dominic Perrottet’s own heartland of Epping seemed to turn against him, with a swing against him evident from the early counting, with a stunned shock among party members who strolled around the vast ballroom digesting their loss and wondering what way was now forward for their party.

One Coalition source heralded Labor’s anti-privatisation campaign as a “master stroke” which cut-through in their must-win seats.

Prolonged and extended Upper House inquiries into the Coalition also “sucked oxygen from our positive stories”, they said, and kept them in the press for all the wrong reasons.

“The silent majority was not on our side,” they said, referring to the baggage that had accumulated from months of infighting and scandals.

Some, however, conceded that with the swing in play, there wasn’t much to be done.

Facing a frontal attack from Labor, as well as dramas fighting One Nation in the southwest of Sydney and Teals and Independents in the city’s north, there was little consolation at the after-party, as supporters stood around in small groups quietly discussing how – after such a promising start – it had all gone so wrong.

Mr Perrottet said the party and government should be “very proud of what we achieved together”. Former Prime Minister John Howard arrived moments earlier.

“I believe in democracy and I always accept the outcome of elections,” Mr Howard said.

“I admire (Mr Perrottet) enormously, he took over in incredibly difficult circumstances and he campaigned in heroic fashion. “He put forward bold ideas, I particularly admired his stance on poker machines, they are a social evil in this country. He has my continued respect.” For a party with little to cheer about, the former PM was welcomed with a rowdy round of applause as he entered the room.

Originally published as NSW election 2023: Perrottet failed to overcome a toxic Liberal brand