The Liberal Party has declared civil war in the electorate of acting Liberal leader Sussan Ley with moves to expel her challenger from the branch and threats to put 2GB radio host Ray Hadley on “speed dial” over the fallout.
Simmering political tensions in the tiny town of Deniliquin, NSW have exploded in the wake of the challenge to Ms Ley’s preselection despite the fact she is currently leading the party while Peter Dutton is on holidays.
Just hours after it was confirmed that Ms Ley would be challenged, it has emerged that the Farrer FEC has moved to expel her challenger Jean Haynes from the party.
News.com.au has obtained a copy of the agenda for the Farrer FEC August meeting which calls for Ms Haynes to be kicked out of the party.
Wild claims have also emerged from branch members of “a nun from a silent order” having voting rights in the local branch and claims a Liberal Party powerbroker had been “hiding in a forest in a ski mask”.
There are also accusations of meetings being held in the middle of a noisy RSL club on the weekly raffle night so that members could not hear what was going on.
In an extraordinary string of emails sent to news.com.au, penned by local councillor Shirlee Burge, she warns the party they have two options.
“One, I have (2GB radio host) Ray Hadley on speed dial and a state Labor Minister who sat in my lounge room last year and said if I didn’t willingly appear before the Upper House Inquiry I would be subpoenaed so I had to appear,’’ she warns.
“He also assured me the Upper House inquiry would be revisited with the new Government. So I can contact both those gentlemen.”
The second option she said was that “someone not of the Reformer faction of the NSW Liberal Party can act and do something – that’s if there is anyone left with the resolution to fight them.
“Personally I prefer option 1 as to date we have continuously been ignored.”
It follows a tit for tat round of expulsion motions in the Deniliquin branch of the party and complaints about the impact of all the unpleasantness on the “little old ladies of Deni,” the town that is home to the world-famous Deni Ute Muster.
According to party insiders, this has included attempts to expel a group of party veterans who are loyal supporters of Sussan Ley, some of whom are women in the 70s and 80s who have given up to 50 years of service to the party.
In another email to the NSW Liberal Party President Chris Stone, Ms Burge complains nobody at Liberal HQ is listening to her.
“Your receptionist said you had a meeting tonight and were so busy !!,’’ she wrote.
“I hope you enjoy the meeting and while at it have a good look at the quality or lack of that will probably keep Labor in power in NSW for at least 25 years. Have a great day.”
A NSW upper house inquiry has previously heard evidence that a local Liberal powerbroker Christian Ellis had purchased several properties in the Deniliquin region, and owned a property worth over $2m in Sydney.
Ms Burge claimed that Mr Ellis told her he was close to a brother of the former NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet and that he could help get a new hospital for the region.
When asked for the potential location of Mr Ellis, Ms Burge told the inquiry she believed he was on his large property near Deniliquin.
She also mentioned a reported sighting in which Mr Ellis was potentially seen driving a vehicle linked to him, while “wearing a ski mask”.
“I believe he has been hiding out in the forest because there have been sightings of him driving a vehicle known to be his but wearing a mask,” Ms Burge told an NSW upper house inquiry.
“The location of his property Bernina backs on to the beautiful red gum forest of the Barmah-Millewa. It’s a large area; people could disappear there forever if they wanted to.”
In an email sent to the Liberal Party executive announcing her candidacy, Ms Haynes said she had made the decision after “much reflection and consultation with my family”.
“I have decided to nominate for the federal state of Farrer,’’ she said.
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“In order to do so our Constitution requires my resignation from the state executive.
“It has been a privilege to take part in the governance of the party and I’ve learned a great deal in the process. I have particularly valued the opportunity to work with you during an election.”
Ms Haynes has been contacted for comment.
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