Federal Libs threaten to seize control of state branch

Following an embarrassing bungle with local council nominations, Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is “dead serious” about a takeover bid of the NSW Liberals.

The federal branch of the Liberal Party could seize control of the NSW division in an extraordinary move following the council elections nomination bungle, with furious Opposition leader Peter Dutton and other senior MPs set to demand answers at a special meeting.

The Liberal’s federal executive, including Mr Dutton, deputy leader Sussan Ley and senior shadow ministers Michaelia Cash and Simon Birmingham, will meet on September 3 to analyse the nominations horror show in a move that could lead to control of the NSW division being stripped from its current executive, including state president Don Harwin.

State director Richard Shields was last week sacked over the mistake.

The meeting will analyse the NSW division’s ability to fight the federal election and assess the impacts of last week’s council nominations mess, and whether grounds exist for a federal takeover or intervention.

“Dutton is dead serious about this,” a source said.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton is furious with his state branch over the council elections nomination bungle. Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman.

Meanwhile, a “short and sharp” review of the NSW division will also be launched ahead of the next federal election, undertaken by the former federal director of the Liberals, Brian Loughnane.

Mr Loughnane will report to NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman and Mr Dutton on the state of the NSW division, and its preparedness for the federal election vote, by September 2.

The Liberals’ constitution outlines two types of possible interventions – taking over the management of the state division or imposing conditions on it.

What level of intervention or takeover – and what action it will trigger in NSW – will be thrashed out in the review and meeting.

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison intervened in the NSW division ahead of the 2022 election to appoint candidates, a move that could be repeated if the Liberals’ urgent review and meeting recommended it.

It means the federal executive could pick NSW’s federal candidates, instead of local branches.

On Sunday, NSW Liberal bosses claimed the NSW Electoral Commission admitted it did not give the required official notice before nominations closed for upcoming council elections.

The party, which missed a crucial deadline to submit paperwork for 140 candidates in 18 councils last Wednesday, also threatened the commission with legal action if it is not granted an extension to nominate candidates.

Liberal Party state director Richard Shields was sacked over the council bungle mistake. Picture: Matrix

But acting Electoral Commissioner for NSW, Dr Matthew Phillips, rejected the party’s second request for an extension.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese blasted the potential legal action as a “farce” and said the date of when nominations for the council elections closed was common knowledge.

The bungle means voters will be unable to vote for Liberal candidates in numerous council elections in September in what has been labelled a “catastrophic stuff-up”.

NSW Liberal state president Don Harwin is still pushing for extra time for candidates to submit their nomination forms. Picture: Matrix. Picture: Matrix

Under pressure NSW Liberal state president Don Harwin pushed for an extra seven days to finish submitting the nomination forms, but this was first rejected by the commission on Saturday.

The party then claimed in a statement the commission had now admitted it did not give the required official notice before last Wednesday’s deadline.

The party said the commission put out an election notice on August 9 calling for nomination proposals five days before the deadline when that should have been a minimum of seven days as per the law.

Dr Phillips said he accepted the formal election notice was published five days prior to the deadline instead of seven, but that the commission had widely publicised the nomination date prior to this – including on its website in October last year.

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Originally published as Federal Libs threaten to seize control of state branch