‘On ice’: NSW Libs plan to dump three men from Upper House ticket in favour of women is scrapped

A plan to dump three senior Liberal men in favour of women has unravelled with the move failing to obtain enough support.

Three male MPs dumped

A plan to dump three senior Liberal men in favour of women has unravelled with the move failing to obtain support.

In a bid to bolster female representation, Premier Domininc Perrottet together with key Liberal factional power-brokers orchestrated an eleventh-hour deal whereby former school teacher Susan Carter, Deniliquin local Jean Haynes and sitting Upper House MLC Natasha Mclaren Jones would replace three existing MLCs on the Upper House ticket.

Despite a revolt within both the right and left over the dumping of key MLCs - and the failure to find a spot for dumped MP Melanie Gibbons - the deal was to go to a ballot of the NSW State Executive this morning.

However, a senior Liberal source said a “last minute swticheroo” with Ms Haynes being swapped out for another woman resulted in the ballot being “put on ice”.

Natasha Maclaren-Jones and two other female MPs will head the Liberals’ Legislative Council ticket. Picture: Cameron Richardson

Three senior Liberal men will be dumped at the next election in favour of women, as the party moves to quell accusations of sexism within its ranks.

The Daily Telegraph can reveal the Liberal Party has struck a deal across all factions to get gender parity on the party’s Legislative Council ticket for next year.

The move will result in the Liberal Party taking three women and three men in the top six spots on the party’s ticket, with sitting upper house MP Natasha Maclaren-Jones leading the ticket.

New additions include Susan Carter, who is a member of the party’s state executive, and Jean Haynes, a former schoolteacher and Liberal from the regions.

The move means three incumbents will lose their positions, with sitting Liberals Matthew Mason-Cox, Shayne Mallard and Lou Amato to be dumped from winnable spots.

Incumbents including Matthew Mason Cox and

Shayne Mallard will be dumped in favour of women.

The Liberals had been set to run an all-male ticket for the Upper House at the March election.

The gender overhaul comes after The Telegraph revealed serious allegations of sexism within the party’s ranks.

Lou Amato will also lose his position.

Treasurer Matt Kean, leader of the Liberal Party’s sizeable left faction, said the updated ticket would allow the party to now focus on winning the election, after criticism over a lack of women being selected to run.

“This is a great outcome for women and the stability of the parliamentary party to ensure we will win in March. This is gender parity on the Upper House ticket,” he said.

Head of the Liberal Party’s right faction, finance Minister Damien Tudehope, said negotiations between the party’s factions had resulted in the updated ticket being chosen.

“All wings of the different party groups came together to agree on what is a tremendous outcome for the party and will enable us to be best placed to win the election,” he said.

The updated ticket won’t provide a political lifeline for Transport Minister David Elliot, who withdrew from preselection after it became clear he didn’t have party support in his chosen seat of Castle Hill.

DAILY TELEGRAPH 7TH NOVEMBER 2022 Pictured at 52 Martin Place in Sydney is Minister for Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney David Elliott at a press conference making an announcement on the NSW taxi compensation package. Picture: Richard Dobson

Deposed MP Melanie Gibbons also missed out on the Upper House despite Premier Dominic Perrottet lobbying for her this week.

It’s understood Ms Gibbons’ name was on a draft ticket as late as Wednesday, but factional wheeling and dealing resulted in her being bumped off the list.

It comes after Ms Gibbons, who didn’t run in the May federal election after being promised a ministry if she remained in state politics, was dumped by her local branch earlier this year when they instead chose Tina Ayyad to contest next year’s election for Holsworthy.

Missing out on the Upper House ticket will effectively end the career of the former Holsworthy MP.

Holsworthy MP Melanie Gibbons’ tenure will end after her name was not picked to be on the election ticket. Picture: Damian Shaw

The new ticket is set to be endorsed overnight Thursday at a meeting of the party’s state executive.

Ms Maclaren-Jones’ promotion to the top of the ticket comes after she withdrew from preselection for Pittwater when it became clear she didn’t have the support of local branch members.