Liberal preselection challenger kicked out of party due to court case

A member of the NSW Liberals’ state executive who launched a legal challenge over the preselection process has been kicked out of the party.

Matthew Camenzuli, who has appealed to the High Court over a federal intervention in the state’s drawn-out selection of candidates for the election, was expelled from the party on Wednesday due to the legal battle on the eve of the campaign.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was facing a court challenge to his bid to overrule preselections in the NSW Liberals.Credit: Rhett Wyman

A spokesman for the party would not comment, declining to discuss internal party matters. However, according to multiple party sources who spoke on the condition of anonymity, Mr Camenzuli was told to leave because he had allegedly breached Liberal Party rules relevant to damaging the party’s chances at re-election.

Mr Camenzuli was immediately removed from a group chat for state executive members and replaced by Cristina Talacko, convenor of the Liberal environmental group Coalition for Conservation.

Sources close to Mr Camenzuli said he would appeal the decision but would not comment due to party rules prohibiting members from discussing internal matters.

Former Liberal Prime Minister Tony Abbott told Sky News on Wednesday evening the internal difficulty “hardly helps” but wouldn’t make any more observations about the party’s machinations.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott says the party needs to have a “tough conversation” after the election about delivering for its members.Credit: Alex Ellinghausen

“But as soon as this election is over, we really do need to have a very tough conversation about delivering for the Liberal Party’s members, the democratic commitment made to them in back in 2016 and 2017,” Mr Abbott said.

“Let’s win this election, let’s fight the good fight, but then things have got to be sorted out and commitments have got to be honoured.”

Prime Minister Scott Morrison was leading a push to install candidates in multiple seats and bypass local preselections, causing controversy within the NSW Liberal Party. Many members have blamed Mr Morrison and his key ally Alex Hawke for delaying preselections until it was late enough to justify intervention.

The NSW Court of Appeal dismissed Mr Camenzuli’s application to overturn the federal intervention on Tuesday, ruling it was an internal political party dispute that was not capable of being arbitrated by the court. He has now lodged an application with the High Court to appeal the decision.

Shortly before Tuesday’s judgment was delivered, Mr Camenzuli emailed party members urging them “not to retreat” no matter the outcome. A copy of the email was forwarded to The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

“Our leaders have failed us,” wrote Mr Camenzuli, who was a member of the NSW Liberal Party’s hard-right faction and an ally of outgoing Liberal senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.

“Right now, your leaders are asking you to dig deep whilst they silence you. You are now denied even the few preselection plebiscites that were originally planned in NSW.”

The federal intervention enabled the endorsement of sitting federal MPs Alex Hawke, Trent Zimmerman and Sussan Ley – protecting them from a preselection challenge and denying grassroots members a say.

At the weekend the committee also used its power to endorse candidates in nine other NSW seats including lawyer Jenny Ware as the candidate in Hughes, lawyer Katherine Deves in Warringah and businesswoman Maria Kovacic in Parramatta.

Jacqueline Maley cuts through the noise of the federal election campaign with news, views and expert analysis. Sign up to our Australia Votes 2022 newsletter here.