NSW Liberal bloodletting begins following Dominic Perrottet’s wipe-out

Liberal insiders say outgoing Premier’s decision to bring in key members of Scott Morrison’s inner circle hurt his re-election prospects.

Outgoing NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Monique Harmer

With the Liberal Party facing an electoral wipe-out, insiders were quick to apportion significant blame to the office of NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet for the defeat.

With the Coalition being dumped out of government, Liberal insiders said Mr Perrottet‘s decision to bring in key members of former prime minister Scott Morrison’s inner circle of advisers midway through 2022 had been foolhardy.

Those sources pointed to the party‘s dysfunctional preselection strategy and vetting which saw the party forced into dumping candidates a week out from the election, proving a significant distraction for the premier.

Liberal frontbencher Natalie Ward, on the other hand, laid blame on the conservative faction within her party and the Nationals.

“It’s most of the conservative candidates who have lost their seats to start with, secondly we’ve had … the Barilaro gift that keeps on giving, that’s been a huge problem,” Ms Ward told Sky News.

Former Liberal NSW premier Mike Baird said the party had been too swept up in factional battles in personal differences.

“There’s been a lot about other people’s factional spoils or positions or settling old scores rather than supporting a premier,” former Liberal premier Mike Baird told Channel 9.

Sky host and former Tony Abbott chief of staff Peta Credlin says lashed the NSW Liberals, saying “retail politics and values-based politics have been missing”.

“I think there’s too many in modern Liberal politics … who confuse retail politics with hand out politics,” she said.

“There’s been a bloodbath on the blue side.”