Save Our Councils Coalition predicts rusted-on Liberals will desert party at Federal Election 2016 over council amalgamations

A MOSMAN member of an anti-amalgamation group says that once-loyal Liberal voters will desert the party ‘in droves’ over the local government issue.

Mosman delegates at the Save Our Councils Coalition “Local Democracy — Not Dictatorship” anti-amalgamations rally in Sydney in March. Picture: Braden Fastier

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A MEMBER of an anti-amalgamation group believes that once loyal Liberal voters will desert the party “in droves” at the Federal Election because of forced council mergers.

“Come July 2 a lot of people will be punishing the Federal Liberal Party as a result of this,” Save Our Councils Coalition member William Tuck said.

“You can go around Mosman and talk to Liberals who say, ‘I’ve voted Liberal all my life but I won’t be doing so on July 2’.”

The State Government’s preferred three-way merger proposal between North Sydney, Willoughby and Mosman councils.

Mr Tuck made the prediction after he and wife Jacqueline Tuck met Tony Abbott last week. Mrs Tuck is also a member of the SOCC.

The couple met the Member for Warringah in his Manly electorate office on Friday.

Mr Tuck said the private meeting with Mr Abbott was about constituency issues.

Member for Warringah Tony Abbott campaign in Mosman in May. Picture: Annika Enderborg

A spokesman for Mr Abbott said Mr Abbott had a constructive conversation with the couple and the former Prime Minister looked forward to further dialogue.

Mr Abbott previously told the Mosman Daily that he supported Premier Mike Baird on amalgamations.

Mr Tuck said he and his wife did not belong to any political party.

“We are in despair about how sad all this is for the people of NSW,” he said.

Premier Mike Baird and Local Government Minister Paule Toole announce the creation of 19 new councils in NSW on May 12. Picture: AAP

“We would like to see the Federal Liberal Party come out with more aggression with relation to what Premier Mike Baird has said in relation to council amalgamations; that he won’t backtrack, that he will just plough ahead and disadvantage Mosman residents.

“He’s completely destroying the relationship between the Liberal Party and its loyal supporters.”