Labor insiders feel sorry for Kellie Sloane. And there’s an election in March

Résumé détaillé

Of all the problems facing the NSW Liberals four months out from an election which could, if polls are to be believed, see them relegated to the third-largest party in the…

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Of all the problems facing the NSW Liberals four months out from an election which could, if polls are to be believed, see them relegated to the third-largest party in the parliament, the preselection of one of their stand-out performers, shadow treasurer Scott Farlow, should not be one of them.

And yet, after nominations for the upper house close at midnight on Wednesday, Farlow will indeed be staring down an intra-factional competitor in Parramatta councillor Martin Zaiter and, potentially, a slew of other would-be MPs.

As the Herald has previously reported, Farlow has shifted positions on the Liberal upper house ticket in the lead up to the March election.

While the ins and outs don’t really bear getting into, suffice it to say that in a challenging electoral environment, the move was designed to ensure one of the most senior Liberals is there come March next year.

Farlow will still fancy his chances of winning. But, instead of being free to focus on, for example, having the Liberals’ election commitments costed by the NSW Parliamentary Budget Office or, god forbid, campaigning against the Labor government, his attention will undoubtedly be drawn to making sure he’s still got a spot on the ticket.

This is not a sledge on Zaiter personally. Farlow’s move into the north-west metro zone of the Liberals’ upper house ticket has disrupted his own long-standing plans to run for the spot. But it is a timely example of a type of bloody-minded factional bloodletting that paints a picture of where things are at.

While on the one hand MPs are clogging the doorways on their way to give valedictory speeches this week (and talk is rife of more to come), on the other – sections of the Liberals seem to be addicted to cutting off their nose to spite their face.

I cannot tell you how many times, over the past few months, Labor people have said they feel sorry for Kellie Sloane.

Début de l'article, extrait de The Sydney Morning Herald. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.