The NSW Liberal Party sits at a crossroads. An impossible choice.

Does it continue down the well-known and comfortable road to electoral oblivion and irrelevance, or drive headstrong into democratic and policy reform?

The choice has not been made impossible by the options, but rather the decision-makers.

Until this recent AGM, the left wing of the party – in partnership with the soft-right faction and the now defunct hard-religious-right franchise – had the organisation on lock. Known as the ‘Establishment’ or the ‘Cabal’ to their enemies, they prefer ‘The Firm’, often gloating, ‘The house always wins!’ and ‘Never bet against the house!’

As a group of people aged between 36 and 54, a clique formed in the Young Liberals dating back 20 some years. Their nasty, university-style internal politics and manic ‘winner take all’ approach shredded talent and fought common sense. They backed everything except for true centre-right Liberal values. They fixated only on power, political expediency, and outcomes.

Entirely transactional, ruthless, and incompetent, The Firm pointed the organisation at the Sun and were blasting at warp speed into the molten iron core. Central to all of this are the lobbyist classes – those lacking in all principles – business corps dripping with dollars, corporate jobs, spin doctors, and hacks. These strategists and hard-heads driving The Firm have absolutely destroyed the party and their own credibility. There was no hope, no guiding principles, and no desire for the organisation to win anything.

Until now, the party has taken tentative steps to put The Firm out of business.

For the first time in over a decade, their choice for President is now in doubt. A dispute is being lodged, with Harwin (their choice) having potentially won by just one vote. Hardly a ringing endorsement. The conservative movement focused on Members’ Rights, cleaning up with top quotas or ties with the left across the party. The State Council has clearly voted for change. The Firm can’t afford change. If they do not hold absolute power to continue their destructive bad behaviour, the truth is their business and their business model is gone – for good, and they know it.

The truth as it stands right now is that The Firm is on its last legs. It is desperately trying to swing council selections in its favour. It is putting henchmen and minions across the state, with what looks like an intent to throw the federal election (because Dutton is an anathema to them) in order to maintain their commercial power and political influence across the party.

Council is just a sub-body of state government and many councillors, Liberals included, have found themselves falling afoul of ICAC. The risk in placing many of the hacks and machine-men into council is much more and worse trouble for the party. It is my view that some of society’s worst people are in the party, driving for positions on the council and they are perfect for the business-focused Firm – they will do as they are told for power and for profit. It is disgusting.

The conservative movement, together with some moderate forces that are equally disgusted with The Firm, want to see an end to the nonsense. They want to see a clean round of candidates for council, new blood presenting Liberal values. If that is not possible, it is preferable to that member and policy focused bloc to have no Liberal councillors at all and as a result placing the focus squarely on Dutton and his election. Which is precisely where the Australian public expects the Liberal Party’s focus to be.

Whether Harwin is upheld as President with a 1 vote majority, from over 740 voters, or whether Mark Ballie is declared, or even if there is a re-vote, it is of no real consequence. The state council has spoken. They are sick to the teeth of the old games, they want change. They are right. The truth is, unless the party stops The Firm in its tracks and shows it the door, the NSW Liberal Party will die in opposition and their council hopes squashed in ICAC.

Change has been demanded, change must be sought, change must be delivered, enough is enough.

Matthew Camenzuli is an entrepreneur and former member of the NSW Liberal Party State Executive. He is cof-ounder of the Members’ Rights movement within the Liberal Party. He continues to work tirelessly for democratic reform within the Party.