Speakman defends NSW Libs, but he’s not sure who’s in charge

The extraordinary takeover of the NSW Liberal party was based on a “verbal” presentation from party elder Brian Loughnane — leaving state Opposition Leader Mark Speakman struggling to defend the party meltdown on Wednesday.

The extraordinary takeover of the NSW Liberal party was based on a “verbal” presentation from party elder Brian Loughnane to the Liberal Federal Executive.

Mr Loughnane had been tasked with conducting a snap inquiry into what went wrong with the NSW party’s council candidate debacle, and presented his findings on Tuesday.

Liberal Leader Mark Speakman on Wednesday said he had not seen that report that led to the entire state executive being sacked on Tuesday night.

The Daily Telegraph can now reveal that Mr Loughnane’s findings were only presented to federal executive via a verbal briefing.

The NSW division has separately been given a list of recommendations.

Mark Speakman (left) does not know who is in charge after Don Harwin and other state executive members were sacked.

Meanwhile, it is still unclear whether former state director Chris Stone has agreed to come back and clean up a party in meltdown.

Federal executive has ordered Mr Stone back into service, but Mr Speakman said he has no idea whether the former state director has agreed.

Mr Stone did not return calls.

Former state director Chris Stone has not said whether he will come back to run the party. Picture: Lee Hamilton.

Mr Speakman also insisted that he had no idea that his former colleague Rob Stokes would be asked to sit on a three-person committee of babysitters for the NSW party, a role Mr Stokes refused hours later.

Mr Speakman, who at times struggled to keep a straight face when defending a party in meltdown on Wednesday, insisted the federal party’s takeover was not a vote of no-confidence in his leadership.

“Federal executive has formed the view that they need intervention to make sure that we are fighting fit for the federal election,” Mr Speakman said.

Mark Speakman, right, had no idea if Chris Stokes, top left, has taken the job. He does know it's not Rob Stokes, bottom left, as originally announced. Pictures: News Corp

“It has nothing to do with state leadership or the state parliamentary party.”

The Liberal Leader stood by his decision to defend Don Harwin as NSW Liberal President following the fiasco around failed council nominations, but would not say if Mr Harwin should come back in 10 months time when federal intervention concludes.

The Liberal Party’s federal bosses on Tuesday night demanded that former state director Chris Stone be brought back to clean up the NSW party’s mess.

Mr Speakman said he has no idea whether Mr Stone has actually agreed.

He conceded the council candidate debacle has harmed the Liberal Party but insisted the party’s “fundamentals are sound”.

“It hasn’t been the best month for the Liberal Party, but we’ve just got to put that behind us and battle on,” he said.

“A Labor minister yesterday told me that I was a resilient bastard … my job as a resilient bastard is to turn up every day for the people of NSW and hold the men’s Labor government to account,” he said.

Mr Speakman insisted that voters “don’t really care” about the Liberal Party’s internal catastrophe.

“The people out in Blacktown or Penrith or Ballina or Nowra, they’re more concerned with cost of living, cuts to health and education infrastructure.

“They don’t really care who was on an Administrative Committee of the Liberal Party,” he said.