Michael Photios: Liberal preselection battle for Manly turns nasty

A BATTLE underway to select the Liberal candidate for Manly has turned nasty with a one party member lashing out at a candidate’s links to powerbroker Michael Photios, dubbing him the “master puppeteer”.­

Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios.Picture: David Geraghty / The Australian.

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THE battle to select the Liberal candidate for Manly has turned nasty, with one preselector lashing out at a candidate’s links to “master puppeteer” Michael Photios.

In a scathing email sent to Manly candidate John Hart, branch secretary and barrister Juris Laucis accused the Restaurant and Catering Association chief executive of a “serious lapse in judgment” for attaching an endorsement by federal MP Trent Zimmerman to his nomination form.

Mr Zimmerman is one of Mr Photios’ closest factional allies, and was installed in the seat of North Sydney as part of a controversial deal between the left and centre right factions.

Liberal powerbroker Michael Photios.Picture: David Geraghty / The Australian.

Federal MP for North Sydney Trent Zimmerman.

After publicly hitting out at the preselection process, Mr Laucis was suspended from the party, along with fellow outspoken members Ross Cameron and Charlie Lynn.

Mr Laucis wants branch members to have a direct vote in choosing who they want as a candidate.

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“It is regrettable that a man of your talents and stature has sought to be aligned with men such as Zimmerman, an acolyte of master puppeteer ­Michael Photios, who represent the old discredited order ­­­of manipulative parasitic apparatchiks,” he wrote

Responding to the email, Mr Hart pointed out he had run against Mr Zimmerman in North Sydney and had ­attached an endorsement to demonstrate his party loyalty.

“This was, from my perspective, a demonstration of my party loyalty, my stance against the faction and the fact that, despite this, I can still work professionally with party members of all backgrounds and loyalties.”

The battle for Manly is narrowing to a three-way contest with Mr Hart up against moderate James Griffin, who also has ties with Mr Photios, and right-wing Walter Villatora, who is being backed by Tony Abbott.

Mr Photios declined to comment.