The NSW Liberal Party has launched a desperate bid to avoid a potentially disastrous outcome in the upcoming local government elections after a shocking bureaucratic error saw them miss the deadline for nominating candidates.
State Liberal Party leader Don Harwin is said to have written to the New South Wales Electoral Commission requesting an extension of the nomination period by one week, giving the party more time to file the necessary documentation.
According to the ABC, the commissioner has received the letter and is now considering it.
The party missed the deadline on Wednesday afternoon to nominate a maximum of 140 candidates for next month’s elections. It is a dramatic administrative blunder that has angered the liberals.
It has been announced that no Liberal Party candidates will be standing in the council elections in Blue Mountains, Camden, Campbelltown, Lane Cove, Northern Beaches, Shoalhaven and Wollongong.
Meanwhile, only partial nominations were submitted for Canterbury-Bankstown, Georges River, Maitland, North Sydney and Penrith.
State Director Richard Shields was fired Thursday night as a result of the fallout.
Liberal strategists are also concerned that the chaos at the local level could have consequences for federal politics.
State Liberal Party leader Don Harwin is said to have written to the New South Wales Electoral Commission requesting a one-week extension
A senior Liberal Party politician said a lack of presence in the September 14 municipal elections would affect the party’s chances at the federal level next year.
This is especially true for marginal federal seats, where the Liberals must win or retain to come to power.
The Insider cited Georges River Council, which holds the seat of Banks and is held by Liberal MP David Coleman by a margin of 3.2 percent.
The party is also seeking to regain the seat of Mackellar, currently occupied by the Liberals and now Teal, which is home to Northern Beaches Council. The party is also seeking to retain Lindsay, which includes Penrith City Council.
Senior Liberals are concerned the incredible blunder could damage their party’s chances in next year’s federal election.
Gilmore, which includes Shoalhaven City Council, is another important constituency.
Labor’s Fiona Phillips turned the seat red at the 2022 federal election, but the margin is extremely small: 0.2 percent.
Next year, former New South Wales Transport Minister Andrew Constance will compete for the seat.
