Liberal revolt puts Wentworth in play, says John Hewson

Liberal voters in Wentworth are “monumentally pissed off” with the Morrison government, says John Hewson.

Palmer United Party Leader Clive Palmer and Former Leader of the Liberal Party John Hewson holding a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra.

Liberal voters in the Sydney electorate of Wentworth are “so monumentally pissed off” with the Morrison government the party is set to lose its most prized seat in next month’s by-election, former Liberal leader John Hewson has warned.

Dr Hewson, who held Wentworth from 1987 to 1995, told The Australian the party had so seriously misread the mood of the electorate, high-profileindependent candidate Kerryn Phelps could effortlessly steal the seat from them “on platitudes and generalities”.

“It’s now ripe for the taking by an independent and Phelps is a candidate of real substance,’ he said.

Dr Hewson said the very public fallout over which Liberal candidate should run for the seat had damaged the party’s standing only further with Wentworth Liberal voters who were unlike any other constituency — affluent, “incredibly opinionated” and “very green”. “It's a seat that is very ­fickle, a seat you never take for granted,” Dr Hewson said.

“Voters are monumentally pissed off with the Liberal Party and they’ve pitched the wrong candidate.”

Dr Hewson said Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s 11th-hour edict last week that the party should run a female candidate in Wentworth only highlighted the extent of the party’s “problem with women”.

He said that mistake was further compounded by the intervention of two former prime ministers just hours before the preselection ballot, very publicly backing in the new Liberal candidate, Dave Sharma.

“When John Howard endorses somebody it’s the kiss of death, and with Malcolm Turnbull it’s the double kiss of death,” Dr Hewson said.