The Sauce: Liberal Party wooing Perrottet, Baird and Stokes for Canberra

Dominic Perrottet heads a wish list of former high-profile NSW pollies the Liberal Party is trying to woo for seats in Canberra. Is the ex-Premier set for the Senate? Read about it in The Sauce.

Following news that former NSW premier Dominic Perrottet was being sounded out by Liberals scrambling to find a candidate to fill the Senate spot soon to be vacated by long-serving former minister Marise Payne, it seems he is not the only high-profile ex-pollie who has been targeted.

As the factions scramble to draft “their” people into federal seats, it appears the former NSW Coalition government is providing to be a popular recruitment ground.

The Sauce can reveal left-wing Liberals recently asked ex-planning minister Rob Stokes if he would be interested in having a shot at ousting Teal independent Sophie Scamps in Mackellar.

Meanwhile, another ex-NSW premier — Mike Baird — is once again being tapped for Warringah after polls apparently showed he would be a formidable competitor against Teal Zali Steggall.

All three have so far said no, as has former NSW police minister David Elliott, who has previously been asked to run for the federal seat of Parramatta, and also declined. Elliott has since taken up the job of Institute of Public Works Engineering Australasia chief.

Former premier Dominic Perrottet, pictured with wife Helen, is understood not to be keen to return to politics just yet. Picture: NCA NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

The Sauce understands Perrottet — who was approached moments after Senator Marise Payne had declared she was quitting — was oblivious to the announcement, having been engrossed in watching the NFL opening game when his phone effectively blew up.

The Epping MP, who recently turned down a job as the next Business Council of Australia chief, is understood to want a stint in the private sector before contemplating a return to politics.

Ex-premier Mike Baird has also said no to a return.

Ex-minister Andrew Constance will be nominating for the Senate spot.

“There is no doubt there is a push to get the band back together,” one NSW Liberal said.

“There is a view the Liberal contribution to Canberra is at its lowest point, but no one seems to be interested.”

This is not the case with another former NSW minister, Andrew Constance, who has confirmed to party members that he will be putting his hand up to fill Payne’s spot.

Constance, who hails from the same moderate faction as Payne, is understood to have widespread support, having just missed out on securing the vacant spot left by former senator, the late Jim Molan, to former Liberal Party president Maria Kovacic.

Other possible candidates are expected to include leading Indigenous No campaigner and former Liberal candidate Warren Mundine.

STAFF MOVES

Under-siege federal Transport Minister Catherine King, who has sustained intense pressure to explain why she rejected Qatar Airways’ request to run extra flights to Australia after stating the reason did not include the commercial interests of Qantas or any other airline, is looking for staff.

Job ads posted at Capital Hill show King is looking for a “campaign and communications manager”, a campaign director and office manager, and a “constituent officer”.

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King is looking for staff. Picture: AAP Image

Elsewhere, Home Affairs Minister Clare O’Neil has lost her chief-of-staff, with former army officer Andrew Downes moving on after a year and four months in the role.

The experienced adviser previously worked in the office of then-prime minister Julia Gillard, and was once touted as a possible future NSW ALP general secretary.

In NSW, Sarah Cruikshank — the fiercely loyal chief-of-staff to former premier Gladys Berejiklian — has moved from the Department of Premier and Cabinet to the Department of Customer Service.

Cruikshank, who held her own while being grilled about her former boss during the Independent Commission Against Corruption inquiry into Ms Berejiklian’s one-time lover, former NSW MP Daryl Maguire, is now the departmental “customer, delivery and transformation” deputy secretary.

NOT ME

A screenshot of an SMS from “CJM” to Transport for NSW co-ordinator-general Howard Collins which popped up among the tabled documents relating to the controversial recruitment of former Labor adviser Josh Murray as department secretary had the media and opposition salivating.

Was it suggesting Murray was not the preferred pick of Premier Chris Minns? It certainly seemed so.

Who is the mysterious ‘CJM’? Not our Premier Chris Minns, apparently. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

“Hi Howard,” the text read. “Don’t really know what to say in light of today’s announcement, but just hope the future shape of things allows your unequalled passion and commitment drive ongoing improvement at the Exec table in the operational services we provide to the people of NSW”.

The SMS was signed “CJM”.

CJM happen to be the initials of the premier, whose full name is Christopher John Minns.

Collins was also on the shortlist for the Transport for NSW gig.

However, it soon emerged the message in the screenshot was not from the Premier, who, his people declared, had never signed off as “CJM”.

As for who is CJM, we are yet to find out.

LIB REVIEW

Liberal elders Nick Greiner and Peta Seaton are sifting through hundreds of submissions as they embark on a journey of working out what went wrong at the March state election — and how to fix it.

The Sauce hears the pair has been calling in senior Liberal figures as part of the election review, including outgoing NSW Liberal Party state director Chris Stone and senior campaign team members. Stay tuned.

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