Former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson says he did not vote Liberal at May election

Graham Richardson says he did not vote Liberal at the federal election following his comments on Sky News.

After setting off a political firestorm by saying he voted Liberal at the federal election, former Labor powerbroker Graham Richardson says he actually meant he voted Dave Sharma before Independent Kerryn Phelps in Wentworth.

“Let me clarify one thing from last night’s Richo & Jones,” Mr Richardson posted on Twitter.

“I DID NOT VOTE LIBERAL. I VOTED for @Timpmurray & I did give his campaign a donation.

“I did however put @DaveSharma SECOND on the ticket because I DOT NOT believe in independents.

“I HAVE & ALWAYS WILL VOTE LABOR.”

Dave Sharma backed up Mr Richardson’s version of events, reposting a tweet from the federal election.

“Great to see @SkyNewsRicho at pre-poll in Waverley today! Promised to preference me second!” the tweet read.

Just re-posting this from the campaign, which backs up @SkyNewsRicho version of events. https://t.co/JotMntXuxM

— Dave Sharma (@DaveSharma) November 7, 2019

Speaking on Sky News last night, on the eve of the release of Labor’s review into its May election defeat, Mr Richardson launched an attack on his own party’s election strategy.

The former senator and political kingmaker, who lives in the Sydney seat of Wentworth, said he voted for Liberal candidate Dave Sharma because the electorate “needed to make a stand’’ and prioritise assisting “people at home”.

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Mr Sharma, a former diplomat, snatched the seat from Independent Kerryn Phelps who was elected in a 2018 by-election following Malcolm Turnbull’s resignation.

Dr Phelps was criticised by some in her electorate after she drafted the controversial medivac legislation, which made it easier for asylum seekers in offshore detention centres to access medical treatment.

“It is the first time in my life I voted one Liberal,” he said on the Richo & Jones show on Sky News.

Graham Richardson and former Prime Minister Bob Hawke in 1991.

The former minister in the Hawke/Keating governments said he voted Liberal because he preferred a conservative government to being held hostage by “left wing independents” such as Dr Phelps who should be kept out of Parliament.

Mr Richardson blamed Labor’s tax reforms for its election defeat. “I think the elderly ... feel they have paid taxes all their life and (then) you’re chasing them to the grave. They resented it deeply and they were right,” he said. “Frankly, I think we were way over the top with those policies.”

Chris Bowen, the architect of Labor’s unpopular franking credits and neg­a­tive gearing tax policies, refused­ on Wednesday to accept that Labor’s targeting of older Aust­ralians was solely to blame for the May 18 defeat.

Victorian Right members met on Wednesday night, ahead of the election post-mortem, led by Jay Weatherill and Craig ­Emerson, being handed to the ALP national executive in Melbourne­ on Thursday.

Dave Sharma.

Kerryn Phelps.

However, Mr Richardson backed Labor leader Anthony Albanese. “I have great faith in Anthony, he is not only a friend he is someone I admire. I think he is a very special human being and I think we will have a really great contest the next time around.”

Mr Richardson has previously said Mr Sharma, a former Australian ambassador to Israel, has a stellar CV.

Mr Richardson says the decision by Labor to campaign on the introduction of new taxes was “political suicide’’. “No soothing words could have smothered the vision people have of a government bringing down more taxes upon what they see as their already overburdened shoulders,’’ he wrote in The Australian last month.

Graham Richardson with Jenny Morrison and Scott Morrison at his 70th Birthday celebration on Saturday.

Mr Richardson lamented that under Labor “the boats kept coming and with the arrival of every boat a few more Labor voters ditched their long-held beliefs and dumped the Labor how-to-vote cards’’.

“Bill Shorten, Chris Bowen and their Labor comrades simply chose to ignore. That came at great cost. Labor found a way to lose yet another election it should have won and it has only itself to blame.’’

Mr Albanese and Scott Morrison were among the guests at Mr Richardson’s 70th birthday party at Sydney’s Museum of Contemporary Art last weekend.

Mr Richardson was a Labor Senator for NSW from 1983–94, and held various portfolios including health, transport, social security, and enviornment in the Hawke and Keating governments. He was the General Secretary of the NSW ALP between 1976 and 1983.