Abbott ramps up pressure on Ley to extend NSW Liberal Party intervention amid deepening party rifts

Tony Abbott is urging Opposition Leader Sussan Ley to continue Peter Dutton’s efforts to reform the NSW Liberal Party, a move that could increase factional disputes following her recent frontbench reshuffle.

As Ms Ley prepares to decide on the future of the NSW division next week, Mr Abbott, now a Fox Corporation board member and a key conservative figure, wants her to back a federal takeover of the state branch, according to the Sydney Morning Herald.

This is seen as a major test of her leadership.

The intervention began last September, when Dutton and other leaders appointed three party elders to take control of the NSW branch after it failed to nominate candidates for 16 local council elections. This failure raised concerns about the branch’s professionalism.

Ms Ley recently reached a truce with the Nationals after an eight-day split, but her new frontbench has rewarded loyalists and sidelined some MPs who opposed her leadership.

Mr Abbott told the Sydney Morning Herald, Ley must “rise above the factional infighting to side with the party administrators and extend the intervention beyond June 30.” He added: “It’s always important for the parliamentary leadership to be bigger than any faction.”

He also warned against letting the intervention lapse as a “payback for past favours.”

Moderate Liberals, including senators Andrew Bragg and Maria Kovacic, oppose the intervention and want to keep their influence over candidate selection. Alex Hawke, now on Ms Ley’s frontbench, and his group are also sceptical.

The dispute is a proxy for broader tensions between moderates and conservatives, especially after right-wingers like Jacinta Nampijinpa Price were demoted from the shadow cabinet. Bragg and Hawke were promoted in Ms Ley’s reshuffle.

Some moderates, such as Chris Rath and Jason Falinski, argue the intervention is a power grab by conservatives. Rath said the current administrators should “go back to Melbourne” after the party’s poor election results.

Mr Abbott believes the intervention is needed to open up the party and attract new members. He said, “Over the past few years, some 600 people have either been expelled or denied membership, some 5000 members have not renewed, and no new branches have been established since 2016.”

He added, “Essentially, the branches are closed shops, state council is an insiders’ club, and the party has been run by factional warlords for far too long.”

The administrators have promised to consult members on changes to the party’s constitution, aiming to reduce the power of factional leaders.

Ms Ley will attend her mother’s funeral on Friday and meet with senior NSW party members next week before making a decision.

Three federal MPs from NSW, not aligned with Mr Abbott, privately criticised his focus on factional battles, saying he is “still focused on NSW factions” while others are working on rebuilding the federal Coalition.

Ms Ley defended her frontbench changes, saying, “As a woman leader that sends a signal to women.”

Senator James Paterson, who was promoted in the reshuffle, said, “I would be lying if I said merit is the only consideration,” noting the need to balance geography, gender, and party dynamics.