The presumed Liberal candidate in Tony Abbott’s former seat of Warringah has pulled out of the preselection process amid turmoil in the party’s NSW branch over its failure to lock in contenders ahead of the federal election.
Barrister Jane Buncle, who had been courting preselection in the northern beaches seat since the last election, withdrew her nomination on Monday night, four Liberal Party officials confirmed.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison with Environment Minister Sussan Ley, who faces a preselection challenge in her seat of Farrer.Credit:Nine
It came as the state executive rejected a motion that would have used special powers to endorse sitting MPs and protect three Morrison government members – Immigration Minister Alex Hawke, Environment Minister Sussan Ley and North Sydney MP Trent Zimmerman – who are under threat from preselection challenges.
The ballot was rejected by 16 votes to three on Monday, according to the party officials, who are not authorised to speak publicly.
Barrister Jane Buncle, from Manly, withdrew her nomination for Liberal preselection on Monday.
It was not immediately clear why Ms Buncle withdrew her nomination and she did not respond to inquiries on Monday night. However, party sources suggested she was unhappy about the failure to expedite the preselection process and therefore give her time in the field to be competitive against independent MP Zali Steggall, who holds the seat on a 7.2 per cent margin.
Ms Buncle’s withdrawal leaves defence analyst Lincoln Parker as the default Liberal candidate for Warringah. The state executive or federal party organisation can still intervene to impose a different candidate.
Earlier in the electoral cycle a number of Liberal operatives expressed interest in nominating for the formerly blue ribbon seat of Warringah including former Morrison aide Sasha Grebe, state executive member Alex Dore and Menzies Research Centre boss Tim James. None ultimately nominated; Mr James is now endorsed as the Liberal candidate at the Willoughby state byelection, while Mr Dore is being touted for the federal seat of Hughes.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has courted two former state premiers to run in Warringah – Mike Baird and Gladys Berejiklian – but both have thus far rejected the offers.
More broadly, a purported “deal” that would have endorsed sitting MPs, installed Mr Dore as the candidate for Hughes and preacher Jemima Gleeson as the candidate for Dobell was not put to the party’s state executive despite being foreshadowed ahead of a meeting last Friday night.
Consternation over the inertia within the NSW branch is growing as the election approaches, with officials privately unimpressed. “This is what happens when they play games, upon games, upon games,” one source, not authorised to comment, said.
The delays have allowed other candidates to campaign unopposed, including independent Georgia Steele in Craig Kelly’s seat of Hughes, who said the proposal to parachute Mr Dore into the seat was insulting to voters.
“The people of Hughes have been taken for granted by the Liberal Party for more than a decade,” she said.
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