NSW Liberals go past rockbottom

The NSW Liberal Party plumbed new depths yesterday as it lost the by-election for the seat of Pittwater. This was the seat previously held by former party leader John Brogden, who resigned in disgrace in August following admissions of drunken, lecherous behaviour (including trying to pick up a female journalist).

Pittwater had been its third safest seat. Local mayor Alex McTaggart surfed to victory in the northern beaches seat on the back of a record-breaking swing of 25 per cent and obliterated the 20.1 per cent majority which Mr Brogden received at the 2003 state election.

In a vast understatement of the challenges facing the party, new leader, Peter Debnam, said:

“This result does make winning government a little harder.”

It seems the result yesterday was a backlash against the Liberals, for the backstabbing which led to Brogden’s demise, and for selecting a party servant, PaulNicolaou, rather than a local candidate.

The Iemma government must be laughing over the Liberals’ stunning ability to shoot themselves in the foot. Had there been anything vaguely resembling a decent opposition, Labor would be in serious trouble at the next state election …in the absence of even the smallest likelihood of the opposition getting its act together, Labor will win that election despite all its own problems.