Factional standoff puts NSW Liberals in limbo

A factional brawl over the political future of NSW Transport Minister David Elliott has paralysed the NSW Liberal Party just six months out from the state election.

NSW Transport Minister David Elliott. Picture: Richard Dobson

A factional brawl over the political future of NSW Transport Minister David Elliott has paralysed the NSW Liberal Party just six months out from the state election, preventing the party’s new executive forming and preselections from proceeding.

Factional heavyweights have reached an impasse amid negotiations over branch allocations, with a cross-factional committee failing to agree upon Castle Hill, the touted seat for Mr Elliott, now the Baulkham Hills MP.

Under the current iteration of the branch reallocation – supported by the Left and Right, and seen by The Australian – Castle Hill would become a notionally conservative seat, with their candidate Noel McCoy primed to win a preselection battle against Mr Elliott.

With 92 of the Liberal Party’s 93 contested seats effectively agreed upon, Castle Hill remains the sole sticking point in negotiations between factional representatives: moderate Chris Rath, “soft-right” Scott Farlow, and Charles Perrottet, brother of the Premier and conservative head.

But after more than a dozen meetings, the Centre-Right is refusing to support the current branch allocation, while conservatives are eager to end the Transport Minister’s political career, so Mr Elliott’s immediate future is likely to be decided by Premier Dominic Perrottet, sources say.

Despite the March state election looming, the ongoing dispute is preventing the new state executive – elected at the NSW division’s AGM in early August – from taking their positions, consequently preventing preselections from going ahead.

With considerable conjecture surrounding whether Mr Elliott would seek to contest the next election, Centre-Right sources claimed Mr Perrottet had personally requested Mr Elliott remain in parliament, despite his conservative faction seeking to remove the abrasive minister.

Liberal figures close to negotiations said a deal appeared to be close. A compromise agreement is likely to be put before the state executive in a bid to draw a line through the saga and ensure preselections can proceed.

“We’re very close to getting an agreement. Any faction that delays preselections by voting down a compromise will have to explain themselves to the party membership,” one top moderate warned.

One Centre-Right source said the faction’s position was effectively the same as that held by Liberal HQ, but conceded with negotiations still ongoing, preselections would not likely be seen before October.

In a convoluted game of seat hopping as part of the NSW Electoral Commission’s redistribution, Mr Elliott’s current seat of Baulkham Hills will become Kellyville and will be contested by current Castle Hill MP and “soft-right” ally Ray Williams.

The factional impasse comes just six months after senior NSW Liberal figures were taken to the High Court by now expelled state executive member Matthew Camenzuli over a dispute over efforts to subvert the party’s democratic process and install 12 candidates in winnable seats.

“Every ticket that ran for state executive claimed to be the defenders of democracy but anyone who’s been around long enough knows that democracy is the last thing any of them want,” one Liberal source said.

The ongoing stand-off has delayed preselections in blue-ribbon state seats such as Vaucluse, with incumbent MP Gabrielle Upton set to retire. TV journalist Kellie Sloane has been touted as a favourite for preselection.

Mr Elliott was contacted for comment.