Internal review of Liberal party’s disappointing 2016 election campaign

SUBMISSIONS made by the NSW Liberals to an internal review of last year’s disappointing election campaign are due to be handed to the party’s federal executive tomorrow.

THE Liberal Party failed to properly plan for a negative federal election campaign and its focus on innovation didn’t work with marginal seats.

Those are some of the submissions made by the NSW Liberals to an internal review of last year’s disappointing election campaign, due to be handed to the party’s federal executive tomorrow.

Submissions include Liberal MP Fiona Scott being swept out of office due to misallocation of resources.

There was a serious misallocation of resources, with marginal electorates like Lindsay, where Liberal MP Fiona Scott was swept out of office, deprived of volunteers and funds which instead went to unwinnable seats.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott warned the review, conducted by former Trade Minister Andrew Robb, should be candid.

Former Liberal MP Karen McNamara submission focused on the lack of resources. Picture: Troy Snook

“Let’s see what Andrew Robb’s report says and let’s hope it’s a candid report rather than a mealy-mouthed report.

“I think very important to see a full and frank assessment of what went right and what didn’t go so right in the campaign,” Mr Abbott said.

There is some concern among Liberal insiders that the review, which is also being conducted by former Premier Barry O’Farrell could be watered down before being handed to the party to avoid embarrassment.

The NSW Liberal executive discussed the submission and concerns about the ill-fated election campaign three months ago.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott hopes the report ‘is a frank assessment’. Picture: Mick Tsikas

Former Liberal MP Karen McNamara, who was not re-elected in the seat of Dobell on the Central Coast, told the Daily Telegraph her submission focused on the lack of resources provided to her electorate to compete with a union campaign.

Ms McNamara was damning about the party’s communication strategy which emphasised innovation.

“When you’re running a marginal seat campaign in a seat like Dobell, the messaging has to be relevant to the area, you can’t run a generic overall campaign on messaging that isn’t going to resonate with constituents,” she said.

The report is being conducted by former Minister for Trade, Andrew Robb Picture: Aaron Francis

“We were out resources and we couldn’t compete with the unions, and I couldn’t compete with Labor’s use of social media.

“Labor is good at that and it’s something the Liberals need to adapt better to.”

The review will be handed down a day after the Liberal Party’s federal director Tony Nutt resigned with state divisions angry about the poor election result.

The fundraising drive was not co-ordinated, with several Liberal figures repeatedly asking James Packer — and other high-profile identities — for a donation.

State divisions were furious at him for failing to divulge detailed polling and research for individual seats, concerned about campaign micromanagement and the alleged withholding of polling and research data.

Some accused Nutt of dusting off a campaign from 1996.