Belinda Neal's kissed her career goodbye

BELINDA Neal's turbulent political career appears to be over after the Labor Party dumped her as its candidate for the Central Coast seat of Robertson yesterday.

BELINDA Neal's turbulent political career appears to be over after the Labor Party dumped her as its candidate for the Central Coast seat of Robertson yesterday.

Ms Neal, the sitting member, suffered a humiliating defeat in a preselection ballot against academic Deborah O'Neill. She received 67 votes to Ms O'Neill's 98 with four counted as informal.

Earlier yesterday, she began the fight for her political life with a kiss from husband John Della Bosca.

The Central Coast power couple enjoyed an intimate moment outside the Woy Woy Country Women's Association Hall at the start of the preselection vote after arriving in separate cars.

They were each ferrying supporters to and from the secret ballot and crossed paths just long enough for a good luck peck on the cheek as they dropped off the preselectors.

Ms Neal said she believed she was the best candidate for the seat, saying: "I have been a member for the last 20 years and I have delivered on all my election commitments."

Mr Della Bosca later returned with fish and chips and takeaway coffees for lunch. They ate sitting on fold-up chairs outside the hall.

"I'm just here being a supportive husband," said Mr Della Bosca, a member of the State Parliament Upper House and a former minister.

Ms O'Neill, a few metres away under the shelter of a tent with her supporters, said she appreciated the encouragement she had been given to run by ALP members.

Asked how she differed from her political rival, Ms O'Neill said: "I never realised it would be such an asset to be a brunette. I'm just different from Belinda. I believe I have something to offer.

"I'm a fighter."

The result hinged on the votes of preselectors chosen from 11 Labor Party branches on the Central Coast.

Labor Party officials were hoping the vote margin would be more than 20 to avoid a challenge from the unsuccessful candidate. Labor holds the seat of Robertson by a wafer-thin margin of 0.3 per cent - or about 150 votes.

The ballot followed a bizarre series of events, which included missing party attendance records from Ms Neal's Woy Woy branch allegedly being found at party headquarters.

The attendance records are needed to determine the eligibility of preselectors.

The Sunday Telegraph revealed last week how Mr Della Bosca claimed he had found the records in the ALP's Sussex St office.

The discovery of the records resulted in 12 members believed to be loyal to Ms Neal being allowed to vote.

Ms Neal has faced increasing dissent from local ALP members since she was accused of abusing staff at Iguanas nightclub in 2008.

Former staff member Melissa Batten, who spoke out against Ms Neal following the Iguanagate scandal, has said she would stand against her as an independent in the event of a Neal preselection victory.

The Liberal Party was quietly hoping Ms Neal would win.

Ms O'Neill ran against Liberal MP Chris Hartcher in 2003, losing by just 272 votes.