The New South Wales division of the Liberal party is lurching towards federal intervention and a legal quagmire, just weeks before the federal election campaign.
Another peace deal failed to win the 90% support required to pass state executive during a fax ballot held on Wednesday.
But the proposal to parachute candidates into the remaining federal seats is said to have support from the factional leaders and will be put to the federal party on Friday as a basis for a limited intervention in the troubled NSW branch.
The ballot proposed endorsing former young Liberal president, Alex Dore, as the Hughes candidate despite grassroots fury at the prospect of a candidate from outside the seat being imposed.
In Dobell, cardiologist Michael Feneley would be endorsed.
Conservative defence analyst Lincoln Parker has been ditched in Warringah, with factional powerbrokers opting for disability campaigner David Brady, despite the fact he had not nominated. Until recently he was a candidate for the Senate.
The Liberals have little hope of winning the seat back from independent Zali Steggall but are hoping with a more moderate candidate they can claw back some of her 7.2% margin.
In Parramatta, local businesswoman Maria Kovacic was chosen over Charles Camenzuli, who ran in 2019 and Hornsby councillor Felicity Findlay. Senior Liberals acknowledge that winning the seat will now be an uphill battle despite the retirement of Labor’s Julia Owens, due to the short campaigning period.
Candidates have also been chosen for Greenway and Eden-Monaro.
The three sitting members – Sussan Ley in Farrer, Alex Hawke in Mitchell and Trent Zimmerman in North Sydney – would all retain their endorsement.
A rival proposal to hold preselections in all the remaining seats using a truncated timetable and online townhall meetings appears to have stalled, but could still be put to the state executive ahead of the Friday deadline.
The federal executive has the power to impose a solution to the epic stoush over NSW preselections, which has paralysed the NSW party. It also has the power to take over the NSW division by appointing an administrator.
But if it does intervene, there is almost certain to be legal action from members of the state executive unhappy with the intervention and from candidates who were not given the opportunity to contest seats.
That could see the party embroiled in more controversy in the leadup to the federal election that must be held by May.
Members are also concerned that federal intervention will further discourage grassroots participation in the party in the future.
