NSW Liberals set to replace to replace male MPs with women candidates ahead of election

A motion backed by Dominic Perrottet to install three women on the upper house ticket has passed, ending a long-running battle.

NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet. Picture: Richard Dobson

A motion backed by NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet to install three women on the state Liberal Party’s upper house ticket has passed, ending a long-running factional battle over preselections.

The successful bid to include 50 per cent women on the ticket intends to head off mounting criticism of sexism within Liberal Party ranks and counter the threat posed by teal independents ahead of the next election.

It is understood the successful ballot, which gave members less than four hours to vote amid the Christmas holidays, was welcomed by Mr Perrottet, who faces an election in three months.

Current upper house president Matthew Mason-Cox, who lost his spot as a result of the deal, called it a “perverse factional stitch-up” and warned members will abandon the Liberals if internal brawling continues.

Mr Mason-Cox said installing Sydney-based women to represent voters in the country was insulting and disrespectful to party membership.

“It is the worst kind of political patronage and undermines the key rationale for introducing provinces in the first place; that is, to broaden representation to members outside the city,” he said in an email sent on Tuesday. “It also cynically dispenses with merit selection under our constitution, thereby sending a terrible message to all the talented women already in our party and to those who might otherwise join.”

An earlier deal to install more women candidates, brokered by Mr Perrottet, was scrapped on Friday because of factional tensions.

The move to install more women had caused considerable anger within parts of the Right faction over what was seen as a power play by the conservative Premier and his moderate Treasurer, Matt Kean.

Shayne Mallard. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Damian Shaw

Lou Amato. Picture: NewsWire / Monique Harmer

The state executive on Tuesday gave party members about 3½ hours to vote on the new ticket and gave a deadline of 7pm just two days after Christmas.

Mr Mason-Cox and backbenchers Lou Amato and Shayne Mallard have been removed from the ballot and replaced by state executive member Susan Carter, Rachel Merton and Communities Minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones.

Mr Mason-Cox said Ms Maclaren-Jones had four years left in her term and her nomination would deny another woman an opportunity to run for the party at the 2023 election.

“This factional stitch-up is perverse and reminiscent of the worst days of the ALP, rather than a party proudly built on democratic principles,” he said. “It simply defies all logic and common sense.”

Ms Maclaren-Jones had hoped to run in the lower house seat of Pittwater, under threat from teal candidate Jacqui Scruby, but the party’s state executive endorsed Northern Beaches Council member Rory Amon to replace retiring minister Rob Stokes.

Former Liberal Party official Matthew Camenzuli said the preselection shake-up was aimed primarily at protecting party operatives, rather than promoting more women.

“To use the dead of night through the Christmas period to try and enforce a bunch of captain picks that are broadly unpopular and further denying members their rights will serve only to tear the party apart,” he said.

Mr Camenzuli was expelled from the party after he challenged the decision by prime minister Scott Morrison to use extraordinary federal intervention powers to protect three sitting MPs and parachute in another nine candidates across the state in the lead-up to the May 21 federal election.

A review into the Liberals’ election loss, headed by senior Liberal Brian Loughnane and Senator Jane Hume, recommended supporting female candidates and adopting a common standard around preselections.