NSW election: Former PM Tony Abbott slams Liberal preselection Nomination Review Committee as ‘witless, faceless’

Former Liberal prime minister Tony Abbott has slammed his party’s state election preselection process, calling the influential nomination committee ‘witless’ and ‘faceless’, and comparing it to a medieval court.

Tony Abbott has slammed the NSW Liberal Party’s preselection process, calling the influential nomination committee “witless” and “faceless”. Picture: Martin Ollman

A former Liberal prime minister has slammed his own party’s state election preselection process, describing the system as “faceless” and “completely out of hand”.

Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott let rip against the NSW Liberal Party’s embattled preselection process for March’s state election, reserving particular critique for the influential Nomination Review Committee – the board which decides which candidates progress to the final membership ballot.

Mr Abbott compared the committee to a ‘Star Chamber’ – a 17th century British court synonymous with abuse of power.

“This whole NRC business has gotten completely out of hand,” the former prime minister wrote in documents obtained by NewsLocal.

“(It is) a witless, faceless Star Chamber making decisions that should be left to preselectors.”

Tony Abbott called the NRC “witless” and “faceless”. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Mr Abbott wrote the stinging rebuke of his own party’s internal mechanisms in a letter of support for hopeful Drummoyne Liberal nominee Dr Tanveer Ahmed, leaked to this publication by a senior Liberal source.

Dr Ahmed was cut by the NRC when the final five nominees on the Drummoyne ballot were confirmed this week.

Dr Ahmed was approached but declined to provide a comment. He has appealed the NRC’s decision to cut him as a nominee but the outcome of his appeal is unclear.

In his letter, Mr Abbott claimed that the rejection of Dr Ahmed as a nominee was down to a trust he forgot to declare during the preselection process and “didn’t fully elaborate on previous controversies”.

Dr Tanveer Ahmed was rejected by the NRC for the Drummoyne ballot.

Noel McCoy was seen as the frontrunner in Castle Hill but was axed by the NRC.

“I despair for our party if someone of Tanveer’s quality is not welcome at least to have a go,” Mr Abbott wrote.

“Thank God we are still capable of attracting people who have sufficient conditions to engage in controversy.

“Frankly, his ‘error’ reflects worse on the NRC than on him.”

NewsLocal also obtained a copy of a letter of support for Dr Ahmed from Shadow Federal Treasurer Angus Taylor, who said the membership, not the NRC, should be given the final say.

Federal Opposition Treasurer Angus Taylor said members should decide, not the NRC. Picture: Getty

“It is my long held belief that local preselectors are willing and able to make informed decisions about who is best to represent them and their communities,” he wrote.

The NRC has been accused in the past of allegedly hiring an “intelligence firm” to undertake background checks on unsuccessful Castle Hill nominee Noel McCoy, an allegation the Liberal Party denied.

Noel McCoy was seen as the frontrunner in Castle Hill but was axed by the NRC.

The Saturday Telegraph revealed the party hired a firm called Aletheia Intelligence Pty Ltd to undertake research on Mr McCoy, who had been seen as the frontrunner in Castle Hill.

The Drummoyne Liberal membership will vote to choose their candidate on Sunday.

A NSW Liberal Party spokesman said: “the NRC is a confidential process and the party will not be commenting further”.

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