‘The clan is still in full control’: Why the Liberals lost WA
Nigel Satterley, a Rich Lister and Liberal Party member, is so dismayed he thinks the Liberals could become a spent force in the state as its base and the business community turn elsewhere.
Nigel Satterley calls them “happy clappers” – the “offbeat religious groups” he believes are taking control of the Liberal Party and costing it votes, particularly among women.
In the property magnate’s home state of Western Australia, where the Liberals were decimated at the federal election, he says the party failed to curb the power of a faction, dubbed “the clan”, whose members include conservative Christian MPs.
Michael BennetWA reporterMichael Bennet is WA reporter for The Australian Financial Review based in Perth. He has worked as a journalist for more than a decade, including at The Australian where he was senior banking reporter and also covered economics, markets and deals. Connect with Michael on Twitter. Email Michael at michael.bennet@afr.com
