’I’d like to see David Elliott return’: Treasurer, Premier beg veteran MP to stay in politics

Premier Dominic Perrottet and Treasurer Matt Kean fought to keep veteran MP David Elliott from retiring from state politics

Treasurer Matt Kean has called on outgoing Transport Minister David Elliott to reconsider his retirement from Macquarie Street and run in his “own seat” after stepping away from the contest for Castle Hill.

Mr Elliott on Sunday announced he would retire from politics rather than face a contested preselection in Castle Hill which he was set to lose to the Liberal party’s right-faction.

The Daily Telegraph had previously revealed that Mr Elliott would not run in the electorate of Kellyville, which will be contested by factional ally Ray Williams.

Kellyville is the new name for Mr Elliott’s current seat of Baulkham Hills, which has been significantly re-worked in an electoral redistribution.

Mr Kean — who is the left faction power broker in the Liberals — said he hoped Mr Elliott would change his mind.

Mr Elliott (left) with Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: John Grainger

Senior Liberals from the party‘s left and right factions are frustrated that Mr Elliott is being forced into retirement because Mr Williams wants to run in Kellyville.

“I hope he changes his mind and runs in his own seat. The seat of Kellyville is the seat of Baulkham Hills,” he said.

Close mate Ray Williams plans to run for Kellyville. Picture: Daily Telegraph/Flavio Brancaleone

“I’d like to see David Elliott return, I’d like to see him change his mind… David Elliott is best placed to continue to serve the people of NSW.”

Mr Kean added he was “very confused” about why Mr Elliott was not running in his own seat.

Mr Elliott also knocked back a last minute plea from Premier Dominic Perrottet to work out a way to stay in parliament, becoming the latest high profile Minister to quit amid increasing pressure on the Premier to reshuffle his frontbench before the end of the year.

Mr Perrottet on Sunday said he had backed Mr Elliott – a member of the party’s centre-right – in the preselection scuffle with the Premier’s own hard-right faction at Castle Hill.

Mr Elliott, pictured with his sons Lachlan and William, paid tribute to his family, including beloved wife Nicole.

The Premier even made a late-night Saturday phone call in a bid to keep Mr Elliott on.

“I said to David that I believe he should stay. I encouraged him to do so,” Mr Perrottet said.

In a blow for Mr Perrottet, Mr Elliott committed to retiring from politics at the next election, blaming the factional infighting he says he couldn’t beat despite Mr Perrottet’s endorsement.When asked on Sunday why he hadn’t backed Mr Elliott publicly, Mr Perrottet responded: “I am”, adding he would rather see the veteran Minister running in Castle Hill than a debutante.

He also said his brother Charles – who was a key factional player in the area during the federal election – was not involved in the right faction challenging Mr Elliott.

Mr Elliott on Sunday said “Dominic did everything he could” in terms of weighing into the factional wars which resulted in him deciding not to fight for preselection.

“You can’t come into this game and be so thin-skinned that you spit the dummy just because a deal is done or factions play out against you … I accept the circumstances of my departure,” he said.

Mr Elliott said he would rather quit state politics than attempt preselection in the neighbouring seat of Kellyville, as that would involve “knifing” his close mate and Mr Williams who also plans to run for Kellyville.

Mr Williams paid tribute to Mr Elliott on Sunday, saying his departure would leave a giant “void” for the Liberals.

“He’s been a great mate for 20 years, I was more than happy to support him and help him when he was first elected,” Mr Williams said.

“I think he’s been not just an asset to the NSW Government and our party, and I’m incredibly sad to see his career end this way.”

Mr Williams also revealed Mr Elliott and himself had agreed a year ago to run in Castle Hill and Kellyville respectively, and warned the government faced an uphill battle against Labor after losing one of it’s most recognisable western Sydney Ministers.

“You take him out of the equation, that’s a massive void. He’s a bloke you want in the trenches,” he said.

“No one would have ever envisaged David Elliott wouldn’t get support to run in the seat of Castle Hill. I think it’ll be a huge shock for our supporters and our community.

“Ultimately Labor is targeting western Sydney and we’ve done a pretty good job as the Liberal Party in representing those electorates. David Elliott at the moment as minister of Western Sydney helps us retain those seats and demonstrate to those communities we’re for them.”

DAVID ELLIOTT: I WILL FALL ON MY OWN SPEAR

The shock move follows revelations in The Sunday Telegraph last week of a factional stand-off between the conservative faction and Mr Elliott, which resulted in Liberal Party state executive members refusing to grant the Transport Minister an exemption to nominate after a three-week lapse in his party membership.

Mr Elliott, who is from the centre right faction, was later granted an exemption to nominate after intervention by moderate powerbroker and Treasurer Matt Kean — only for the right faction to put up their own candidate in Noel McCoy.

Mr McCoy, who is believed to have lodged his nomination on Wednesday, is understood to have the numbers to win a preselection in the seat following a recent boundary redistribution.

Right-wing Liberals last week claimed they were not prepared to “save” Mr Elliott, given he could still nominate for — and win –— a preselection in the seat of Kellyville, which replaces his abolished seat of Baulkham Hills.

Transport, Veterans and Western Sydney Minister David Elliott is set to leave state politics. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Christian Gilles

While the decision is expected to shock many of his parliamentary colleagues, it can be revealed Mr Elliott considered retiring some time ago, only for Mr Perrottet to ask him to stay on.

Given it is Mr Perrottet’s own faction driving the push to reclaim what the right faction claim is its traditional territory, the Premier would have had to override his own support base to protect his minister.

Staunch monarchist Mr Elliott was thrilled to greet Prince Harry and wife Meghan, and says bringing the Invictus Games to Sydney was one of his proudest moments.

Joining the Liberal Party on his 16th birthday, he soon landed a job with then senator Bronwyn Bishop, before working as an electorate officer for future prime minister John Howard.

After a stint in the NSW Police Media Unit — he was there in the lead-up to backpacker killer Ivan Milat’s arrest — Mr Elliott joined the army.

A staunch monarchist, the Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy national campaign director also became involved in the “no republic” campaign, leading the push against a republic led by Malcolm Turnbull.

A young David Elliott pictured with General Sir Peter Cosgrove when he was in the army

During his time in parliament, Mr Elliott attracted as much consternation as he did praise, with his blunt one-liners aimed as much at his own party as those sitting opposite.

He recently took aim at Treasurer Matt Kean for the prolonged industrial action dogging Sydney’s rail network, declaring “that’s what you get when you send a boy in to do a man’s job”.

During the lockdown rallies, Mr Elliott took aim at the so-called “freedom fighters”, branding them “selfish boofheads”.

Often himself the target of insults, Mr Elliott also once had to engage 24 hour police protection after receiving a series of death threats.

As for his greatest achievements, Mr Elliott nominates having brought the Invictus Games to Sydney in 2018 — aided by then police minister Troy Grant who helped secure funding — to coincide with the Centenary of Anzac.

Mr Elliott (background) formed a close friendship with former police commissioner Mick Fuller, and consulted his mate about leaving state politics. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Jeremy Piper

The pair have become close friends, speaking to each other most days.

It can be revealed Mr Elliott sought Mr Fuller’s counsel in deciding on whether he should retire.

While Mr Elliott may be leaving Macquarie Street, it can be revealed he is open to a future career in federal politics.

In the lead-up to the May federal election, former prime minister Scott Morrison asked Mr Elliott to consider becoming the candidate for federal seat of Parramatta – a request he declined due to family health concerns.

With those health concerns no longer an issue, the pathway is now clear for Mr Elliott — who is close to Liberal leader Peter Dutton — to knock on Canberra’s door should he choose to.

Mr Elliott is among a long list of Coalition MPs announcing or expected to announce their retirements, including Customer Service Minister Victor Dominello, Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes and Corrections Minister Geoff Lee.

The departure of Mr Elliott may be welcome by his enemies but, as one minister conceded this week: “He’s a great retail politician. We’d be mad to let him go”.

In a major loss to Premier Dominic Perrottet, the self-declared government “spear-chucker” made the formal announcement on Sunday morning.

“With the abolition of my Baulkham Hills electorate and advice that I cannot be accommodated in the new seat of Castle Hill on factional grounds, I have today advised my community that I will not be re contesting the 2023 State Election,” he said.

Mr Elliott said he wanted to pay tribute to three groups of people, one of which was his family.

“To Nicole, Lachlan and William. The burden of public life is heaviest on those we love.

“Whilst the boys and I have always had a good giggle at the emotion and thought invested into the ‘constructive feedback’ I’ve sometimes attracted, I know Nicole often took it personally. Her loyalty has been inspirational,” he said.

He also thanked the people of the Baulkham Hills electorate and the 200,000 public servants who have worked under him – from police to transport personnel and his own political staffers.

“They deserve the Victoria Cross,” he said.

Got a news tip? Email [e-mail]