Liberal MP Stuart Ayres retracts denial over electoral border war
Premier Gladys Berejiklian says she’s too busy dealing with COVID-19 to worry about a factional fight in her party after Penrith MP Stuart Ayres falsely claimed he’d had no discussions about changes to his electorate boundaries.
NSW
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Penrith state Liberal MP Stuart Ayres has been forced to correct the record after falsely claiming he has had no discussions about changes to his electorate boundaries.
Shoring up Mr Ayres’ marginal seat of Penrith, at the expense of conservative MP Tanya Davies’ neighbouring seat of Mulgoa, has been floated in negotiations over a Liberal Party submission to re-draw the state’s electoral boundaries.
The MP on Thursday night confirmed he spoke with dumped minister Don Harwin about proposed changes to his seat, after claiming he had “absolutely” not discussed redistributions with any colleagues.
“I should have said (any) lower house colleague,” he later said.
All lower house MPs were asked to meet with Mr Harwin as part of the process.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian on Thursday said she is too busy dealing with COVID-19 to worry about a factional fight in her party.
However, she failed to reprimand any of her MPs over the factional war.
“I don’t have time to scratch myself, let alone let myself get distracted on anything else,” she said.
When asked if he was expecting a safer seat in the redistribution on Thursday, Mr Ayres said: “the thing that I am least concerned about right now is redistributions”.
“I’ll fight for my community on whatever boundaries (are decided).”
Liberal party operatives were annoyed on Thursday that some of their ideas had been exposed to Labor, who are also working on their own redistribution plan.
A well-placed Labor source was “astonished” by some of the ideas discussed with Liberal MPs.
Some proposed changes were “make believe stuff” that show Mr Harwin is “making enormous mistakes” with the redistribution, the Labor source said.
Conservative Liberals and others aggrieved by the party’s process said they hoped that by speaking out a week before the submission is due, they could alter the plans and ensure their perspective was heard.
Despite Mr Harwin and Chris Stone doing almost all of the work on the submission, a cross-factional group of senior Liberal operatives has been tasked with overseeing the process.
That trio is made up of Treasurer Dominic Perrottet’s brother Charles, from the party’s Right faction, the Moderates’ Chris Rath, and the Centre Right’s Penny George.
Labor Leader Jodi McKay on Thursday slammed Liberal MPs for focusing on themselves during the coronavirus pandemic.
She said her party’s redistribution submission is being completed at arms length.
“I was surprised when (the Liberal Party) appointed Don Harwin, who’s head of the moderate faction, to carry out this work,” Ms McKay said.
“But obviously, you know, the Premier wants an outcome. And obviously, he’ll deliver that.”
Health Minister Brad Hazzard said some MP’s “get a bit excited” about changes to electorate boundaries.
“But I’m not one of them,” he said.
Originally published as Liberal MP Stuart Ayres retracts denial over electoral border war