Liberals’ top Senate candidates won’t step aside for Molan

Two NSW Liberal Senate candid­ates endorsed for the next election have refused to step aside for the dumped Jim Molan.

The Liberal Party’s No 1 candidate on the NSW Senate ticket for next year’s election, Hollie Hughes. Picture: John Feder

Two NSW Liberal Senate candid­ates endorsed to run in next year’s federal election have flatly refused to step aside for dumped former army general Jim Molan as he intensifi­es pressure on Scott Morriso­n to intervene and save his political career.

Hollie Hughes and Andrew Bragg, endorsed on Friday for the top two spots on the NSW Liberals’ Senate ticket, will not vacate their positions to appease anger over Senator Molan’s demotion to an unwinnable place in the order.

The decision leaves Senator Molan, appointed a year ago to fill the seat vacated by Fiona Nash, facing an early exit at the election unless the Prime Minister directs the NSW Liberals’ executive to overturn endorsements or persuades another senator to retire.

The demotion of Senator Molan has enraged Liberal conservatives and others who say it is unacceptable to force out a new serving member of his experience.

Mr Morrison’s decision to interve­ne at the weekend and save NSW right-wing backbencher Craig Kelly, who faced certain preselection defeat, prompted calls inside the party yesterday for similar action on Senator Molan’s behalf.

Mr Molan led the calls for his rescue, telling Perth radio station 6PR: “I wait for the Prime Minister to do something … let’s see what he does, but I’m not here to be taken for granted.”

The senator declined to comment further to The Australian but stood by his radio comments.

Ms Hughes, the NSW Liberals’ No 1 senate ticket holder, told The Australian yesterday she had no intention of stepping aside after winning her preselection “decisively” and had been told “specific­ally” she would not be asked to make way for Senator Molan.

She said she had dropped to an unwinnable position on the NSW Liberals’ Senate ticket for the 2016 election after displacing Concetta Fierravanti-Wells in the preselection. She did so because Senator Fierravanti-Wells was a government minister, but would make no repeat concession.

Ms Hughes was ahead of now Senator Molan on the NSW Liberals’ 2016 ticket and next in line to take the seat when Ms Nash was ruled ineligible because of her Britis­h citizenship. But Ms Hughes was forced to step aside for Mr Molan when she too was ruled ineligi­ble because she accepted a government job after the election.

She said another proposa­l, floated by some Molan supporters, for senator Arthur Sinodi­nos to quit and make way for him was “distasteful”. Senator Sinodinos has been ill and on extended leave, but Ms Hughes said he was expected back and should not be pushed out after “making a significant contribution”.

Sources close to Mr Bragg, a former acting federal director of the party, said he would also not step aside. “No one has requeste­d he step down, and the endorsement has happened, it’s finished,” a senior party source said.