Led by former NSW premier Nick Greiner and former NSW MP Peta Seaton,the review also placed significant blame on the “dysfunction” of the party’s state executive,which was crippled by factional infighting.
Greiner and Seaton briefed MPs on their findings on Tuesday,telling the Liberal party room that the No.1 reason for the party’s loss was the “It’s time” factor after 12 years in power.
But damage to the party’s brand was a significant factor,they said,specifically citing the unpopularity of the Morrison government as a key influence in the loss.
According to MPs present at Tuesday’s briefing who spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the confidentiality of the report,Greiner opened the meeting by saying the party’s brand was damaged by the 2022 federal election on key issues such as women and the environment.
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Greiner also said,“significant damage” had been caused by events after the election,according to those MPs. While he didn’t cite specific examples,MPs who spoke to this masthead pointed to the controversy around Morrison’s multiple government ministries,revealed in August last year.
However,the damage to the Coalition’s standing among voters was not confined to Morrison. While the review was not critical of Perrottet – finding that while he was not as popular as his predecessor,Gladys Berejiklian,he had won over voters – bad behaviour within the NSW party was also a factor in the loss as was the late retirements of a number of senior MPs.