The NSW government is facing another pre-selection debacle after the far-right lawyer expected to replace the Transport Minister was dumped in a shock move by the Liberal Party.
Key points:
- Noel McCoy says he has appealed the decision to Liberal party's state executive
- Labor says "heaven help" NSW if David Elliott is now pre-selected instead
- Earlier this week the party made the shock decision to reject Natalie Ward for pre-selection in Davidson
On Friday the "unashamedly pro life" Noel McCoy was excluded from running for preselection in the safe seat of Castle Hill by the party's nomination review committee.
He said he was dropped due to views he shared on his website "North West Forum" which included criticism of the former Berejiklian government's "damaging" COVID-19 lockdown measures and vaccination mandates.
Mr McCoy has also previously made his anti-abortion views clear and suggested policy changes in this area.
"Apparently good faith public policy discussions in defence of core Liberal values are no longer allowed in the Liberal Party," he told the ABC about his dumping by the party.
The far-right faction of the Liberal Party had been backing Mr McCoy for Castle Hill, which prompted Transport Minister David Elliott's retirement from state politics in October.
His seat of Baulkham Hills is being merged into the new seat of Castle Hill and without factional support, he said he had to bow out.
But his career may be saved before it even ends if the party now throws its support behind Mr Elliott.
If this transpires, Opposition leader Chris Minns said "heaven help" New South Wales.
"If he's the answer to the Liberal Party's exodus then heaven help us because I think the question would be how do you reselect a government that's completely out of touch, well the answer is you put David Elliott back in Parliament," he told the media on Saturday.
"As far as this government is concerned their best people have left and their best days are behind them."
Mr Elliot was the 11th Coalition MP to announce their resignation ahead of the March 2023 election.
In his valedictory speech last month he said he was "sad" to be leaving but his "guardian angel" could only do so much.
The ABC has requested comment from Mr Elliott about whether he would reconsider running for pre-selection.
In October he fired shots at Mr McCoy, saying he didn't have the right "character" and the party should diversify to represent the high numbers of working mothers and people of Indian descent in the electorate.
Mr McCoy, a former Young Liberal president, has now appealed his exclusion to the party's state executive and says if necessary he will also appeal to the party's state council.
"The vetting process did not identify any probity issues as to my candidacy," he said.
"I am a high-calibre candidate, with impeccable credentials, an entirely clean personal record and a long history of service to the Liberal Party.
"While I hope for a successful outcome, I fear that the Liberal Party has been damaged by this miscarriage."
The party's state executive has declined to comment.
Earlier this week the Perrottet government was hit with another pre-selection drama when the party's most senior woman Natalie Ward was rejected for the safe seat of Davidson.
This was despite her having the support of the Premier, who had previously said he wanted to see more women pre-selected so the party could boost their gender balance.
The number of women in winnable Liberal seats has gone backwards from the preselections already held.
On Wednesday NSW Treasurer Matt Kean took aim at the party's branch members, saying they weren't reflecting the community.
"When you've got someone as talented, as able and as big a contributor as Natalie Ward who is not able to win preselection over a former Liberal staffer something is wrong with our systems and processes."