The move could pave the way for Transport Minister David Elliott to contest the federal seat of Parramatta,with many of his ministerial colleagues convinced he will quit state politics.
NSW Premier Dominic Perrottet and Prime Minister Scott Morrison.Supplied
Preselections for Parramatta and Hughes,set down for this week,have been cancelled after the party’s federal executive stepped in over the weekend and took control of candidate selections.
Mr Morrison will also make a captain’s pick for the seat of Eden Monaro,as well as other seats including Warringah,Greenway and Hughes and several Labor-held seats.
Mr Elliott has long been considering a tilt at federal politics and has told colleagues – including Labor MPs – that he would not be contesting the next state election because his seat is being abolished,and he wants to avoid a messy preselection battle.
NSW Transport Minister David Elliott.James Brickwood
He did not rule out contesting Parramatta on Sunday,instead saying:“I haven’t nominated nor have I been asked to nominate.” Mr Elliott has had discussions about running in Parramatta in recent days with party powerbrokers.
The intervention also means that Holsworthy MP Melanie Gibbons will be denied a chance to contest her preselection for Hughes. Preselections were to be held on Thursday.
Ms Gibbons is one of three nominees for Hughes,currently held by Liberal turncoat Craig Kelly,including lawyer Jenny Ware and Alex Cook,another local candidate.
Early this month,a motion was put to the party’s state executive,saying the three candidates were unsuitable. The motion outraged some in the party,who saw it as insulting to the candidates.
The motion said:“Unfortunately,none of the persons who nominated are suitable or provide the division with its best chance of winning the election.”
NSW Liberal president Philip Ruddock said the sentence was taken out of context and further in the lengthy motion it made clear that Ms Gibbons was needed in Holsworthy.
Ms Gibbons had threatened she would quit politics entirely if she was denied a chance to contest federal preselection. Former Bega MP and transport minister Andrew Constance quit state politics to contest Gilmore. The Perrottet government lost Bega in a byelection last month.
Ms Gibbons was contacted for comment.
Heathcote MP Lee Evans,a moderate powerbroker in the Hughes electorate,said he was “outraged” that local branch members were being denied a chance to select their candidate.
“This is the Morrison government’s death wish,” Mr Evans said.
Mr Evans said branch members would refuse to work on polling booths or hand out how-to-vote cards in the election,due in May,if they had a candidate imposed on them.
It had been expected that former Young Liberal president Alex Dore would be parachuted into Hughes. However,a senior party figure said war widow and family advocate Gwen Cherne was being considered.
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