Fate of NSW Liberals decided: Multiple sources say late push for Tony Abbott to be involved

“It’s the death of reform”: A fresh factional brawl has erupted in the NSW Liberals, with conservative members accusing the federal executive of abandoning party reform in favour of a factional fix.

A fresh factional brawl has erupted in the NSW Liberals, with conservative members accusing the federal executive of abandoning party reform in favour of a factional fix.

Multiple members of the party’s Right faction accused party bosses of stacking a seven-person “Committee of Management” with left wingers and members of the soft-right faction led by federal MP Alex Hawke.

Conservatives said that the only right-wing appointee, Peter O’Hanlon, was nominated despite being overseas. He is not due to return to Australia “for months,” multiple sources said.

One conservative accused the Liberal Federal executive of imposing a “Hawke/Moderate intervention”.

NSW Liberal Party MP Anthony Roberts said the committee had an obligation to fix the party.

“Their mission will be to prevent reform from happening.”

“It’s the death of reform.”

“If the rules of the party mean that Hawke and the Moderates are always in charge, what incentive do they have to change the rules?”

A Left faction member conceded that party reform is now “dead in the water”.

Leading conservative Anthony Roberts said the committee has an obligation to fix the party, but questioned why one prominent Liberal was overlooked.

“I would have liked to have seen Rhondda Vanzella, a long term independent member of the Liberal Party, on that list,” he said.

He added “the country deserves a party that can contest elections and not be focused on factional interests.”

“While I find the makeup fascinating, I would hope along with the rest of the party’s root and branch members that the people appointed realise they have a generational obligation to fix the Liberal Party, so it can win elections for the sake of NSW and the country,” he said.

The new Committee of Management will take over from June 23. They will oversee the party’s administration until March 30 next year.

The meeting also established a review into the Liberals’ disastrous election campaign, to be helmed by Howard-era Minister Nick Minchin and former NSW Minister Pru Goward.

Ms Goward said it was “a critical review given the enormity of the task ahead” and had to be “warts and all”.

The review will focus on the party’s historically low primary vote, the threat posed by ‘independents’, and the party’s poor performance with specific groups of voters.

THREE PERSON PANEL AXED

The three-person panel including two Victorians installed in the federal Liberal’s takeover of the NSW branch has been axed, with a new committee helmed by former NSW Premier Nick Greiner to lead the state division for the next nine months.

The overhaul of the NSW branch happened at a Tuesday meeting of the party’s federal executive where members voted 20 to one in favour of replacing the administrative committee put in place last year.

It’s understood on Tuesday morning members of the party’s right pushed for former Prime Minister Tony Abbott to be included on the panel, only for the move to fail, multiple Liberal sources said.

Mr Abbott has been contacted for response.

The move means a three-person panel including Victorian Liberal elders Alan Stockdale and Richard Alston will be axed, while the other panel member – former NSW MP Peta Seaton – will remain on the new panel as a representative of federal leader Sussan Ley.

“NSW members have reclaimed the party back from Victoria,” a Liberal source said.

“The Victorian division is sinking fast and we want nothing to do with that Titanic.”

Instead of going back to the old NSW state executive, the party will be driven in the coming months by a new seven-person panel.

Victorian Alan Stockdale, one of the members of the NSW Liberal division’s administrative committee. Picture: AAP Image/Julian Smith

It’ll include Ms Seaton, barrister Jane Buncle as a representative of NSW Opposition leader Mark Speakman, and NSW vice presidents Councillor James Owen, Peter O’Hanlon and Berenice Walker.

NSW party treasurer Mark Baillie will also be on the panel, while former NSW Premier Nick Greiner will be the independent chair.

Federal Opposition leader Ms Ley confirmed Mr Greiner would helm the new panel, saying “the good work that was done by the previous panel will be transferred” to the new party.

EARLIER

The three-person panel running the NSW Liberals – including the former Victorian treasurer who triggered fury among members after saying women had become so “assertive” they may need rules to protect men – is set to be dumped, but the old state executive is unlikely to be welcomed back.

A crunch meeting of the federal Liberal executive will be held later today to decide the future of the NSW branch, which was taken over by their national counterparts last year following the bungling of council nomination forms, which left 140 Liberal candidates unable to run in local elections.

The meeting is also expected to result in a review of the Liberals’ disastrous federal election campaign being established, with nominations for who will be appointed to head the probe to be heard.

Multiple Liberal sources confirmed the most likely path forward is for the three-person panel – made up of senior Victorian Liberals Richard Alston and Alan Stockdale and former NSW MP Peta Seaton – being dumped, after they were installed last year.

But instead of the “unruly”, 30-person NSW state executive being reappointed, it’s understood the most likely action is a smaller ruling group which will continue the work of the federal takeover for between six months and a year.

Unlike the takeover, the new body would be made up of NSW party members – following angst among NSW members that two of the three members of the administrative committee were from south of the border.

Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley holds a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra Picture: NewsWire / Martin Ollman

It’s understood the body would include the NSW party’s three vice presidents, a representative of federal and state leaders Sussan Ley and Mark Speakman, the NSW party’s treasurer and an independent chair.

The proposal is understood to have the backing of both Ms Ley and Mr Speakman.

“If both Sussan and Speakman are pushing that as parliamentary leaders, Sussan in particular, that’s what federal executive is likely to support,” a Liberal source said.

The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this month that former Victorian treasurer Mr Stockdale triggered fury within the party after he told a meeting of the NSW Liberal Women’s Council that women in the party had become so “assertive” rules might need to be put in place to help men get preselected.

“Following a discussion of quotas, I made a lighthearted but poorly chosen remark. I certainly intended no disrespect to anyone, and I regret that people felt disrespected,” he said afterwards.

Originally published as Fate of NSW Liberals decided: Multiple sources say late push for Tony Abbott to be involved