Premier warns MPs on Libs ‘brand’ damage

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian warns her MPs to “distance themselves” from the federal government before state election.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks to the media during a press conference with Treasurer Dominic Perrottet in Sydney, Sunday. Picture: AAP

NSW state Liberal MPs have been told to “distance themselves” from the Turnbull government amid fears the chaos of the federal party will contaminate the state election campaign in March.

The warning comes as the ­Liberal Party braces for three ­elections between November and next May.

With Newspoll surveys showing federal Labor maintaining an election-winning lead over Malcolm Turnbull and Victorian ­Liberals claiming research shows Labor Premier Daniel Andrews likely to hold on to power at a poll in November, there are ­concerns the Liberals could be ­defeated in all three elections, resulting in the loss of power fed­erally and in NSW.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned her MPs to put distance between the state and federal Liberal “brands” as they head towards an election scheduled for the last weekend in March.

At a meeting last week, Ms ­Berejiklian told MPs the “Liberal brand” was being damaged and this would hurt the party in NSW unless they could forge a separate identity.

NSW MPs are afraid federal leadership instability and continuing controversy sparked by ­Education Minister Simon Birmingham’s funding battle with the Catholic education sector will mean they will face voters eager to use “baseball bats” against them on election day.

Ms Berejiklian did not mention the Prime Minister or any other federal Liberal minister or MP by name during the meeting.

Victorian MPs also fear the ­federal “contagion” is spreading into state politics and that the ­Andrews Labor government will narrowly hold power at the election on the last weekend of ­November.

The NSW and Victorian ­premiers are crucial to the success of the Prime Minister’s signature national energy guarantee aimed at reducing electricity prices and providing reliable power, a policy that is facing a revolt from federal Coalition MPs.

NSW and Victorian MPs believe the NEG is not the main problem for state Liberal parties.

MPs say the problem of damage to the Liberal brand is the result of much wider issues than federal leadership tensions over energy policy.

They also fear conservative voting blocs have been alienated by various policy decisions, driving traditionally loyal voters ­towards minor parties and that those parties could reap the electoral rewards when voters go to the polls.