Liberal leader claims ‘overwhelming support’ after heavy Pittwater loss

NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman has called the Liberal loss of Pittwater during Saturday’s byelection an “outlier”, and says he has the “overwhelming support” of the caucus in the face of questions over the party’s direction.

Teal independent Jacqui Scruby enjoyed a comprehensive victory, with a 6 per cent two-party-preferred swing, as Liberal candidate Georgia Ryburn struggled to overcome the circumstances of her predecessor’s resignation and a concerted campaign about living outside the electorate.

NSW Liberal leader Mark Speakman says the Pittwater byelection was an “outlier”.Credit: Kate Geraghty

The party’s other candidates, James Wallace and Monica Tudehope, won in their respective and virtually uncontested byelections in Hornsby and Epping on Saturday.

Speakman said exceptional circumstances in Pittwater, including the failure to nominate local government candidates and former MP Rory Amon’s 10 child sexual abuse charges, proved too much. Amon denies the charges and has vowed to fight them.

“But Pittwater is an outlier,” he said outside Epping station on Monday morning.

“The circumstances in Pittwater were pretty unique. The perfect storm for us, with our failure to nominate in local government and the brand damage that caused in Pittwater; the circumstances surrounding the former member … we were unable to withstand it.”

Asked whether he should have done anything differently, Speakman downplayed the possibility any factor could have changed the outcome.

“The teals ran hard on what, I thought, was a pretty technical sort of analysis of what is a local. We had an outstanding case. We had an outstanding candidate,” he said.

Despite the first byelection loss by a NSW opposition since 2005 and questions over his leadership, Speakman said he was in the job “for the long haul”.

“In a large party room, it would be a miracle if we didn’t have the odd dissident. I have the overwhelming support of the Liberal party room,” he said.

With Tudehope and Wallace enjoying primary swings of 8 per and 7.2 per cent respectively, Speakman lauded his “young and diverse” team, noting there were now nine MPs aged under 40 and six under 35 in the Liberal caucus. The party was one female MP away from gender balance, he added.

Wallace, who will replace former treasurer and moderate firebrand Matt Kean in Hornsby, said he shared “some things in common” with his predecessor, but would have “different focuses” including the cost-of-living challenges facing young families.

Tudehope will succeed former premier Dominic Perrottet, who she served as his deputy chief of staff, in Epping. She said she would bring her own perspectives as a young mother juggling childcare.

Despite the Liberals’ poor showing in Pittwater, Premier Chris Minns said there was “no crowing from Labor” and the result represented another “wake-up call for major parties”.

“Voters are prepared to vote for independents if they don’t like what they see from the majors. And even though we weren’t on the ballot … we need to do better,” he said.

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