Tony Abbott has warned it would be a “disaster” if the outspoken Liberal Craig Kelly were to be rolled in a looming preselection battle, as it emerged that Ann Sudmalis will face a challenge in Gilmore despite public intervention from Malcolm Turnbull and Scott Morrison to shore her up.
Liberals have confirmed that Sudmalis will face a challenge in her south coast marginal seat from a local real estate agent, Grant Schulz, despite the clear signal to hold fire from Turnbull and Morrison, but several sources say her position is not in significant peril.
Kelly, however, faces a serious challenge in his seat of Hughes from the Liberal party state vice-president, Kent Johns. Insiders suggest Johns, a party moderate, will have the numbers – which prompted Abbott to go into bat for the backbencher on Wednesday.
Abbott warned there would be no “harmony” inside the Liberal party if Kelly – his factional ally – was “rolled”.
“I think it would be a disaster for our party if Craig Kelly were to lose preselection, an absolute disaster,” the former prime minister told 2GB. “He has been a very good local member, he has been a very strong participant in all of our policy discussions, he has been a very good and vocal advocate for our position.
“The idea he should be knocked off, at this point in time … I just think that is the worst possible look.
“The only way we can win the election is if we have harmony inside our party and we sure ain’t going to have harmony if Craig Kelly gets rolled.”
The preselection dramas in New South Wales don’t end with Sudmalis and Kelly. The moderate Jason Falinski faces a challenge from an ally of Walter Villatora – the president of Abbott’s federal electoral conference – Frederick Mare, a 65-year-old company director.
Two government ministers, Angus Taylor and Craig Laundy, also forgot to lodge their nomination forms for their seats by the cut-off, which was last Friday. Neither Taylor nor Laundy are facing challenges to their preselections, so the period for nominations has been extended in their seats.
