THE defender of Liberal members’ constitutional right to select candidates has been expelled from the Party, as Scott Morrison keeps his “captain’s picks”.
State Executive board member Matthew Camenzuli, who took his fight to the High Court this week, was removed from the Party on Wednesday on ridiculed claims he had damaged the Party’s re-election prospects.
- Angry members blame leaders for delaying preselections until it was late enough to justify federal intervention.
- Abbott says issue must be revisited “after election”.
- Commitment to members “must be honoured”.
Mr Camenzuli had pushed back on federal executive moves to take control of the NSW Liberal division and impose 12 candidates on members without preselections, as required by the Party’s constitution.
After earlier winning a Supreme Court case preventing the NSW executive from being dissolved, Mr Camenzuli set his sights on having Mr Morrison’s “captain’s picks” reversed.
POWER
The NSW Court of Appeal, however, ruled that his case was “non-justiciable”, or outside the power of the court to rule on, effectively backing the Prime Minister’s candidate selections.
On seeking urgent special leave from the High Court this week, Mr Camenzuli’s appeal was refused on the grounds that there was “insufficient prospect of appeal from that decision”.
In relation to legal costs, the court said: “We have considered the written submissions concerning costs, and see no reason why the applicant should not pay costs.”
The High Court’s decision opens the way for the Prime Minister to call an election without a legal cloud over his 12 hand-selected NSW candidates.
These include his centre-Right ally Alex Hawke, Left faction organiser Trent Zimmerman and Environment Minister Sussan Ley, also a Left factional player.
While Party officials hope the decision puts the issue to rest, many members remain angry and have blamed Messrs Morrison and Hawke for delaying preselections until it was late enough to justify federal intervention.
BRAWLING
Former Prime Minister Tony Abbott, whose former seat of Warringah was caught up in the dispute, told Sky News this week that internal brawling “hardly helps”.
“As soon as the election is over, we really do need to have a very tough conversation about delivering to Liberal Party members the democratic commitment made to them back in 2016 and 2017,” he said.
“Let’s win this election, let’s fight the good fight, but then things have got to be sorted out, commitments have to be honoured.”
According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Mr Camenzuli, a senior player in the NSW conservative faction, was this week removed from an online State Executive meeting.
He was replaced by the Left’s Cristina Talacko, a convenor of the Party’s environmental group Coalition for Conservation.
In an email to Party members just prior to his expulsion Mr Camenzuli said “our leaders have failed us”, according to the Herald.
“Right now, your leaders are asking you to dig deep while they silence you,” he wrote.
“You are denied even the few preselection plebiscites that were originally planned for NSW.” PC
60 year coalition voter except for 2016, now find again bereft of true conservatives & genuine Aussie conservative values, now infiltrated with wets & moderates “the proposal of let’s win & then change ” strictly in la la land, will never change, just ask Tony Abbott & Jim Molan after all the work they did?
Whilst originally supporting Matthew Camenzuli’s thrust and arguments, in an e-m to him I counseled against continued court challenges so close to a critical federal election. As Tony Abbott says, let’s concentrate on winning the battle, and have (legitimate) blood letting afterwards.
BUT TO EXPEL CAMENZULI FROM THE PARTY ? !
Where does this expulsion decision leave the the State Executive, and the Federal Executive, on the merits of Alex Hawke remaining a party member ? Also remembering that so far the Executives have never had the guts to expel Malcolm Turnbull, whose continuing attacks and damage to the Liberal Party ever since he (legitimately and democratically) lost the Prime Ministership, leave Camenzuli’s legal challenges for dead.
Outrageous behavior by the factions and particularly MP Hawke who let the Solomons drift to China on his watch . After the inevitable defeat it will be time to really introduce the Democratic Reforms that most members earnestly seek.
So the Leader of the Liberal Party see’s fit to expell Mr Camenzuli who seems to me to be acting in the interests of democratic processes within the party, but the leader is not prepared to expell Malcolm Turnbull for being the most disruptive member vocally opposed to anything of the Liberal Party’s policies?
Scott Morrison, you have to be blind and deaf.
Ill be putting forward a motion of support for Matthew Camenzuli and condemnation of the state executive at our next branch meeting. I have pulled my regular financing of the state party and will not be working on the polling booths to support a candidate who was selected deliberately against our constitution. Unfortunately if the only means of reforming our party is to lose the election and the seats of the moderates who have corrupted it, so be it
The people of Australia and the world must stop this World Health Organisation Pandemic Treaty.
STOP THE TREATY
Pandemic Treaty – The World Health Organisation is attempting a Global Power Grab.
Never before in the history of mankind has an organization openly plotting a coup against the sovereignty and health freedom of every human on earth.
This battle against biomedical fascism can only be won if large numbers of people learn what the World Health Organization is attempting to do and raise their voices in opposition to it A.S.A.P.
https://jamesroguski.substack.com/p/pandemic-treaty
Australians must NEVER AGAIN vote for Liberal National Labor or Greens or we will be doomed to Governmental Totalitarianisim forever.
For God’s sake save us all and our democracy and our country and NEVER EVER vote for Liberal National Labor or Greens EVER AGAIN or we are doomed and it will be too late !
The people of Australia need all the filthy vermin in the political sewer pits removed and dealt with appropriately.
For God’s sake, and all our sakes, to save us all from GovernMENTAL heinous Totalitarianism.
NEVER vote for Liberal National Labor or Greens EVER AGAIN.
We all must act to reclaim our rights and freedoms and our democracy.
When Injustice Becomes Law – Resistance Becomes A Duty
“[…] claims [Camenzuli] had damaged the Party’s re-election prospects.”
LOL – you really couldn’t make this stuff up; it’s irony on steroids.
I called Morrison’s character (or rather his complete lack thereof) a long time ago. Is there anyone here who remains so obdurately obtuse and so willfully ignorant as to continue their cretinous contentions that I was wrong ?