Liberals battle for Gladys Berejiklian’s seat of Willoughby

Gladys Berejiklian’s replacement in Willoughby will be all but confirmed when Liberals select their candidate for the upcoming by-election on Thursday night.

Former Premier Gladys Berejiklian’s replacement in Willoughby will be all but confirmed when Liberals meet to select their candidate for the upcoming by-election on Thursday night.

But the Omicron outbreak is expected to have a significant impact on the number of preselectors who vote in the three-way contest, with many party members set to stay at home by choice or due to isolation requirements.

Former Willoughby Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney is the frontrunner. Picture: AAP

Former Willoughby Mayor Gail Giles-Gidney remained the favourite to win preselection on Wednesday, despite accusations from some Libs that she previously undermined the party by supporting non-members in Local Government elections.

In further mud-slinging, other Liberals suggested rival Tim James had previously told preselectors in the North Shore electorate that he wasn’t interested in running elsewhere.

Former journalist Kellie Sloane is considered unlikely to win.

Gladys Berejiklian resigned when an ICAC inquiry into her actions was announced.

Former journalist Kellie Sloane, also contesting the ballot, is expected to place third and be eliminated from the race before a run-off vote between Ms Giles-Gidney and Mr James.

Ms Giles-Gidney has the backing of local left faction powerbrokers. Members of the party’s right faction are supporting Mr James.

The contest turned personal on Wednesday with one Liberal accusing Ms Giles-Gidney of “political treachery” over her endorsement of a non-Liberal to ­replace her as Mayor last month.

Ms Giles-Gidney wrote a reference for the successful Tanya Taylor, and later congratulated the independent on her win.

However Ms Giles-Gidney also provided an endorsement for Liberal Craig Campbell for Mayor.

A formal complaint was also lodged with Liberal party state director Chris Stone in 2017 about Ms Giles-Gidney supporting non-members in that year’s local government elections.

Meanwhile, an email sent by Mr James after a failed bid to run for the North Shore electorate was circulating on Wednesday, in which he said he was not going to “walk away from the community I’ve lived in and served for fifteen years for the ‘promise’ of another seat”.

Mr James has twice run, unsuccessfully, for preselection in North Shore however he grew up in Willoughby, and has spent most of his life in the electorate.

Ms Sloane does not live in the seat and Ms Giles-Gidney moved to Willoughby in 1996 after being raised in Perth.

None of the candidates were authorised to speak publicly about the preselection battle.