Liberal MPs pan Perrottet’s strategy after election loss

NSW Liberal MPs have rounded on the party’s campaign strategy in the aftermath of the party’s electoral evisceration, saying Dominic Perrottet failed to articulate a clear vision.

Outgoing Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Damian Shaw

NSW Liberal MPs have rounded on the party’s campaign strategy in the aftermath of the party’s electoral evisceration, saying outgoing Premier Dominic Perrottet failed to articulate a clear vision for the state.

For the second time in less than a year, the NSW Liberal Party suffered a chastening loss to a resurgent Labor Party, losing a swag of seats across the city’s middle and western beltways to deliver premier-elect Chris Minns a ­majority.

Liberal MPs said the extent of the loss – particularly the projected Labor gain of the central coast seat of Terrigal, never held by Labor since its establishment in 2007 – surprised those who believed Mr Perrottet had run a good campaign

“There was no clear message from Dom. No unifying vision for NSW,” one Liberal official said.

Alluding to the end of the federal Howard government in 2007, one Liberal MP said it was apparent panic had set in among party strategists, noting the “policy clutter” that had undermined the party’s ability to explain to voters what key policies were.

“I couldn’t keep up with the amount of announcements we had. People didn’t understand what our key message was,” he said.

A Liberal insider said the party had become too fixated on fighting off the threat of Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court, failing to register the threat of the Labor Party in the city’s west.

Climate 200 founder Simon Holmes a Court. Picture: Josie Hayden

“The strategy only buttressed teal seats but they didn’t realise Labor was running around stealing votes,” he said.

“The biggest threat was Chris Minns. We made the campaign about teal credentials, and economic management credibility … but the economy was f..ked.”

Despite Mr Minns and Mr ­Perrottet paying credit to the civility of the election campaign, one Liberal MP said the party should have run a more negative campaign targeting the Labor leader and the party’s inexperience.

Liberal MPs said much of the post-election spotlight had focused on deputy Liberal leader and progressive beacon Matt Kean, with the party split on whether his agenda on climate change and energy had lost the party votes in Sydney’s west.

Liberal senator Andrew Bragg defended his moderate colleague, saying the party had held on to areas that had been wiped out during the federal election campaign.

Deputy Liberal leader Matt Kean. Picture: NCA NewsWire/David Swift

“One of the most important ­lessons here is that we have to be a party that doesn’t go to the ­margins and that doesn’t seek to inject division into the mainstream,” he said.

“But the Liberal Party has held on to the bulk of its metro seats, on the north shore, in the eastern suburbs, parts of the inner west.”

A moderate Liberal MP also defended Mr Kean, saying his brand of politics had “saved the furniture” in areas threatened by teals and independents.

“People just don’t like Kean. What did he do wrong? Do they want us not to have any policies on climate? Then we would have lost all the teal seats,” the Liberal MP said.

“We probably got a balance right between base and affluent blue ribbons seats.”

Another Liberal insider said many party members, even ­moderates, were seeking to blame Mr Kean for the party’s ­devastating loss, saying he went “too far” on energy and didn’t play to the base.