Climate 200 hosts ‘US socialist brains trust’ as Liberals target Allegra Spender’s Wentworth

Climate 200 has been accused of leftward creep ahead of hosting a US socialist political guru, as council swings embolden Liberals in Allegra Spender’s Wentworth.

Climate 200 will host an election strategist who has worked with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Bernie Sanders, right, as the Liberals believe they can challenge Allegra Spender, left, in Wentworth.

You can now listen to The Australian's articles. Give us your feedback.

Climate 200 has been accused of drifting leftward as it prepares to host a “self-described socialist” US political guru who worked on Bernie Sanders’ campaigns and ­established one of the most left-wing Democratic action ­committees.

It comes as first-preference swings in local elections towards the Liberals in wards within independent Allegra Spender’s electorate of Wentworth bolster the party’s belief of a tight race at the next federal election.

On Thursday, Climate 200 will host US election strategist Zack Exley in a “How to Win: Lessons from Obama, Bernie and AOC” event. A Democrat spin doctor, he ran communications for Senator Sanders’s 2016 presidential bid after working on Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign.

He co-established Justice Democrats in 2017, one of the party’s most left-learning action committees, which helped elect Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ilhan Omar to congress. The group champions a “Green New Deal” and ending arms sales to ­Israel.

After The Australian revealed that the seven teal independents voted with the Greens between 73 and 81 per cent of the time over 27 months to August 22, state and federal Liberals have warned voters of the group’s apparent leftward drift.

“We know the teals vote with the radical Greens up to 81 per cent of the time, and this unfortunate trend looks set to continue, with Climate 200 teaming up with America’s socialist brains trust,” said opposition business manager Paul Fletcher, who is likely to face a teal challenger in his federal seat of Bradfield at the next election.

“The teals’ political colours are increasingly being revealed and this latest revelation is yet more evidence of their left-wing bias.”

NSW Davidson MP Matt Cross said Climate 200 and the teals claimed to be community-focused yet were seeking inspiration from “self-described socialist US politicians”. “Events like this prove the teals aren’t teal, they are Greens,” he said.

US political strategist Zack Exley. Picture: Supplied

Climate-200-backed Jacqui Scruby is running as an independent in October’s Pittwater by-election sparked by the resignation of Liberal Rory Amon after he was charged with child sex ­offences.

Mr Cross said Senator Sanders’ ideas “just aren’t relevant to Australians”, warning against Climate 200 importing “American-style anger” into domestic politics.

But Climate 200 executive ­director Byron Fay said Mr Exley was on a “growing list” of political thinkers who viewed Australia’s community independents as one of the world’s “most exciting democratic movements”, adding that he was here on a study tour and that British Conservative Rory Stewart – himself touring the country next month – had also praised the movement.

“Zack has led community-­organising efforts that channel ­inspired volunteers into political campaigns at scale,” he said. “That idea would sound ‘radical’ to the Liberal Party given its membership is at an all-time low and it long ago lost its capacity to inspire large numbers of volunteers.”

It comes as Liberal strategists pored over the early voting patterns from Saturday’s council elections, particularly in wards within the Wentworth electorate where party candidate Ro Knox is ­running against Ms Spender. ­Although counting continues, there were swings towards the party across almost all council wards within the electorate.

In many, the Greens vote went backwards while at wards within the Woollahra council area there were swings against the teal-hued Residents First group, described by Liberal insiders as “proxy teals”.

The area has one of the largest Jewish populations in NSW, with many criticising the federal Greens’ stance on Israel.

“We can take a fair bit of joy from the numbers across Wentworth,” a senior party source said. “Until now, few had appreciated what was happening in Wentworth under the radar.”

According to party documents, local Liberals saw swings of up to 9 per cent in 10 wards across three councils in the electorate.

Ms Spender has been a strong supporter of Israel and Wentworth’s Jewish community, but March comments in support of resuming funding to the United ­Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees alienated some.