NSW Liberal Democrats at impasse as feud deepens

An attempted coup has plunged the NSW Liberal Democrats into crisis ahead of the state election amid tit-for-tat allegations of financial mismanagement.

Liberal Democrat candidate John Ruddick.

An attempted coup has plunged the NSW Liberal Democrats into crisis ahead of the state election amid tit-for-tat allegations of financial mismanagement and claims the party’s upper house candidate is a ­“malignant cancer” who has been “verbally bullying” staff.

Former Liberal John Ruddick gained support from the Libertarian party’s membership as the party’s Legislative Council candidate in September, but became embroiled in an ­escalating dispute with members of the party’s state executive.

The divide eventually resulted in four members of the executive voting on Boxing Day to disendorse Mr Ruddick, enraging some of the party’s 320 financial members.

In response to the disendorsement, lawyer and LDP member Cameron Shamsabad drew up a petition in support of Mr Ruddick, successfully obtaining the support of the 25 per cent of financial members necessary to call a special general meeting for late January.

In his petition, Mr Shamsabad alleged members of the state executive mismanaged party ­finances, leaving the division “nearly bankrupt”, claiming it was the consequence of high administrative costs, including on hiring staff with “close personal links” to the executive.

“The disendorsement and fiscal irresponsibility is completely contrary to the core party values which you and I share,” Mr Shamsabad wrote to members.

Ross Cameron, a controversial former federal Liberal MP who joined the Liberal Democrats in 2021, called on the four state executive members who voted to disendorse Mr Ruddick to resign, saying their views were unrepresentative of members.

“Putsch against a member vote, with members adjudicating, was destined to fail,” he tweeted. “Feckless4 may reduce further injury – accept reality, ­resign now, let others rebuild.”

But days later state executive member Barry Reed released a scathing video presenting his version of the feud, saying Mr Ruddick was a “lazy, bullying, nasty, uncaring and hopeless campaigner” and a “malignant cancer” that needed to be removed from the party.

Dr Reed alleged Mr Ruddick had been “verbally bullying and abusing” female campaign staff, and threatened the employment of staff without authority.

“There are quite enough bullies in the NSW parliament right now without our party adding another one, in my opinion,” he said. “Especially when you consider the year-long investigation by former sex discrimination commissioner Elizabeth Broderick that found widespread bullying, harassment and misconduct in the NSW parliament. All the long-suffering voters of NSW need right now is another one.”

Mr Ruddick denied bullying. “I absolutely deny that allegation,” he told The Australian.

“It is true that in Zoom campaign meetings when they rejected my policy approach that I called them politically inexperienced and stupid. It wasn’t personal, it was political.”

The factions will head to a special general meeting less than two months from the election. The party has no representative in the NSW parliament.