NSW’s activist Treasurer Matt Kean is searching for a safer seat in the hope of avoiding a preselection battle in his once untouchable seat of Hornsby.
A combination of fed-up Liberal pre-selectors and a boundary redistribution has eaten into Mr Kean’s confidence that he can retain his upper north shore electorate.
- Hostile Liberal pre-selectors and a boundary redistribution has eaten into Mr Kean’s confidence.
- Kean ally Natalie Ward eyes shift to Lower House.
- Tim James’ position in NSW parliament in doubt as Left Libs sharpen knives.
According to recent reports in Sydney’s Daily Telegraph newspaper, the planned move has been confirmed by a Liberal Party insider.
“The source appears to have confirmed talks of a plot by moderate MPs to try to swap seats ahead of the next State election to overcome preselection fights as a result of boundary changes,” the paper reported on the weekend.
MOVING
“Discussions took place by Left-wing Liberals last Sunday of the proposed seat swap which involves Treasurer Matt Kean moving from his Hornsby electorate to the seat of Wahroonga (currently called Ku-ring-gai),” the insider is alleged to have said.
Ku-ring-gai MP Alister Henskens would then move into the seat of Davidson currently held by speaker Jonathan O’Dea, with unsuccessful federal candidate Maria Kovacic to run for Hornsby.
There are also whispers that Upper House MP Natalie Ward has been approached to move to the Lower House.
The source said Pittwater was an electorate Ms Ward could be interested, though the move would see sitting minister Rob Stokes shafted from his safe seat.
WARD
Due to concerns, however, over whether Willoughby MP Tim James can retain his seat – given the narrow margin with which he won – his electorate could also be in play for Ms Ward.
The revelations caused concern among voters who took to online media to voice their disapproval.
“Dunderheads comes to mind when trying to explain the rabble that is NSW Liberals,” Les wrote online.
“They are quite farcical! Thank God we only have approximately nine months to put up with these clowns.”
Ian wrote: “The Liberals have already lost the next NSW election. There’s still a very slight glimmer of hope if Matt Kean is booted from the Party before Christmas.”
PROBLEM
While Gary wrote: “Move people into different seats, bring in new people, but still one problem stays, Matt Kean.
“The LNP will not, and will never, get my vote for any of their candidates in the next State election while Kean is a standing member of the LNP!
“I have already told my local sitting Liberal member that he has lost my vote because of Kean.” PC
If Matt Kean does not go the State election will be a wipe out the same as the recent Federal Election was.
He has personally turned the party into a left wing government.Why is he still here? I don’t want to hear the rubbish about the Liberal Party being a broad church! Get rid of him or the people of NSW will get rid of the Party full stop!!!!
I was turned off Matt Kean when I saw him on the Project years ago, tying the bushfires at the time to human induced climate change. He was minister for the environment responsible for overseeing burn backs to minimise them. This was after 10 years of fuel build up on top of increasing swaths of forest set aside as untended national parks and a naturally occurring drought driven by the Indian ocean dipole and ENSO. His unscientific claims that the bushfires had anything to with the mild warming that started pre-industrialisation was a deceit. As a paper recently called him, he is the “Prince of darkness”. An appropriate title as he has driven our energy sector in NSW to the point of dysfunction with his green ideology. The gan-green needs to be cut from the liberal body in order to save it.
This Photios sycophant and renewables grifter should be in jail for recklessly destroying our energy security and cost of living
Matt Kean has to go – and the sooner the better! His recent attack on the Premier with his “by mistake …..fat thumbs” tweeting against him on the Barilaro issue should be the last straw.
I understand that a seat near the stern was recommended for Titanic passengers as the ship went down, unless they could find a seat on a lifeboat.