AARON PATRICK: The Liberals’ possible loss of a key seat looks like an inside job
Latest counting puts the Liberal candidate clinging to a miniscule four-vote lead over an independent in Bradfield, the last seat the party held within walking distance of Sydney Harbour.
The full distribution was due to be completed last night but Bradfield’s shock result has many causes, including demography, culture and economics. The Liberal Party might have overcome them and saved the seat comfortably without dysfunctional internal relationships.
On January 30 a Liberal member in his late 20s, Andy Yin, resigned from the party to run as an independent in Bradfield.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Directing supporters to preference another independent, Nicolette Boele, Yin received a small-but-pivotal 4 per cent of the vote.
His vague-but-well resourced campaign - the slogan was: “not right, not left, just forward” - was pitched at the ethic Chinese who comprise a quarter of the North Shore electorate.
What Mr Yin did not advertise was that he came from a different faction to the Liberal candidate, Giselle Kapterian, who is trailing Ms Boele in what looks like the closest race in the whole election.
Suing the party
Despite demonstrating a willingness to engage in extreme actions in pursuit of a seat, Mr Yin was allowed to continue working for a State Liberal MP, Anthony Roberts, a former prisons minister, until the day he quit the party.
He associated with senior party members, including former prime minister Tony Abbott and former communications minister Paul Fletcher, and used the connections to promote himself.
A couple of years ago, told by the Liberal Party he would not be allowed to run for a State seat, Mr Yin filed a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. When that failed, he sued several party officials in the Federal Court, including former premier Dominic Perrottet and State party director Chris Stone.
“It’s a very racist process and I decided to stand up against that,” said Mr Yin, who claimed to have spent up to $400,000 on his campaign.
News of the lawsuit, which remains active, was published in the national press last August. He continued to work for Mr Roberts, whose right faction jostles for power in NSW with Ms Kapterian’s left group. Neither Mr Roberts or Ms Kapterian responded to a request for comment.
Administrators
The NSW Liberal Party’s difficulties managing itself led the Federal division to last year replace president Don Harwin and a management committee with three administrators.
The administrators’ contract is about to expire, and the party’s national executive will have to decide whether to grant them extensions. Leader Sussan Ley’s view, which is not known, will be crucial, party insiders say.
The NSW division has a history of bitter internal disputes spilling over into the courts. One reason is that it is normally overseen by a committee of more than 30 people, which allows small factions to emerge and exert disproportionate influence.
The Federal division wants the administrative problems sorted out before returning the party to the stewardship of members. Factional leaders want the administrators to go as soon as possible so they can chose a replacement director for Mr Stone, who stayed on for the election.
The loss of Bradfield could have important consequences for the party.
Ms Kapterian was allowed to vote for Ms Ley in last week’s leadership contest. Two senators who supported Ms Ley leave Parliament at the end of June.
If Ms Kapterian is not elected, the balance of power among Liberal MPs will tip from Ms Ley to Angus Taylor, based on the results of the leadership ballot, potentially shifting power from the Left to the Right as Ms Ley tries to move the party to what she has referred to as the “sensible centre”.
