Lib MPs won’t face preselection battles

Sitting Liberal MPs in NSW will be spared preselection challenges after the federal executive voted to temporarily take over the division, with another intervention looming.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison may again have to intervene in NSW. Picture: Gary Ramage

Scott Morrison could be forced to propose a second federal intervention of the NSW Liberal Party within weeks as party powerbrokers insist on competitive preselections in seats without sitting MPs.

Liberal members were considering their legal options on Friday after the party’s federal executive voted to temporarily take over managing the NSW division.

A committee comprised of the Prime Minister, Premier Dominic Perrottet and former federal Liberal president Christine McDiven will control the division until Tuesday.

It will endorse the preselections of Environment Minister Sussan Ley, Immigration Minister Alex Hawke and North Sydney MPs Trent Zimmerman, cancelling the challenges each MP was facing from Liberal members in their electorate.

The federal executive gave the NSW division until March 25 to endorse candidates in seats that are not represented by a sitting MP but have not had preselections because of factional infighting.

This includes the winnable seats of Bennelong, Hughes, Greenway, Parramatta, Eden Monaro, Warringah and Dobell.

Liberal sources said there would likely be a preselection vote in the seat of Bennelong on March 23, which is expected to be contested by councillor Craig Chung and former chief-of-staff to ­Michaelia Cash, Gisele Kapterian.

Moderate and Conservative sources have also told The Australian they will push for contested ballots in the remaining seats, but Liberal figures say this could be ­resisted by members of Mr Morrison’s Centre Right faction.

A stalemate could force a second intervention by the federal executive, in a move that would cause further unhappiness in the division on the eve of the election.

“The moderates will be pushing for party democracy and preselections throughout the state,” a Liberal figure said.

“We will push for preselections for Hughes and Warringah. If they don’t happen there will be federal intervention in the seats.”

Another Liberal member said: “Preselections can be done via zoom which can expedite it because of time pressures”.

Last month, the NSW ­Supreme Court upheld a legal challenge from state executive member Matthew Camenzuli, who opposed a factional deal that would cancel preselections in all outstanding seats.

The Australian understands Mr Camenzuli’s legal representatives have been approached by Liberal members who are aggrieved preselections in three seats have been cancelled.

Mr Morrison is expected to call an election soon after the March 29 budget.

Coalition MPs believe the infighting in NSW is putting the government’s re-election chances at risk given the need to win seats in Australia’s biggest state to offset losses in Queensland and Western Australia.

Rival candidates for Hughes, held by United Australia Party leader Craig Kelly, include lawyer Jenny Ware and former young Liberal president Alex Dore, while businesswomen Maria Kovacic and Felicity Findlay are vying for preselection in Parramatta.

In Warringah, some faction leaders are favouring installing disability campaigner David Brady as the candidate but the only person who has nominated is conservative member Lincoln Parker.

Cardiologist Michael Feneley is in the box seat to be the Liberal candidate for Dobell, while former Navy seaman Jerry Nockles is likely to run for Eden-Monaro.