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NSW Liberal reforms paper thin ? Clark faction still dominates
Sunday 03 August 2008
Commenting on the NSW Liberal State Council reforms Greens MP Lee Rhiannon said that as the extreme right wing still dominated the Liberal's key decision-making bodies, voters needed to be wary of the promises being made by opposition leader Barry O'Farrell.
"Mr O'Farrell's failure to end the dominance of the NSW Liberals extreme right faction suggests the reforms the opposition leader is touting are paper thin," Ms Rhiannon said.
"The opposition leader might assert that the Liberal's factions have kissed and made up but as long as the extreme right faction dominated by David Clark has the numbers on the State Executive the people of NSW need to be suspicious of what the Liberals really stand for.
"The opposition leader is misleading the public when he makes out the reforms adopted at the weekend State Council will ensure 'the NSW Liberal Party organisation operates in a fair and democratic way'.
"The extensive branch stacking reported on the ABC Four Corners program two years ago has not been dismantled.
"Steve Pringle, the former Liberal MP, when he lost preselection for the seat of Hawkesbury, said that the Liberal Party is 'controlled by an exclusive sect, an extremist right wing group'.
"It appears that the main result of the so called State Council reforms is that the Liberal left has been silenced.
"A veneer of unity has been created for the media and the public.
"Those who control the numbers inside the NSW Liberals hold socially conservative views on abortion, euthanasia and homosexuality.
"The extreme right faction's hold on power within the NSW Liberal Party structure will be significant for preselections for state seats.
"It would be expected that more NSW Liberals aligned to the extreme right faction of the party will be preselected," Ms Rhiannon said.
