NSW Women’s Liberal Council president Jacqui Munro will fill the vacancy on the Liberal Party’s upper house ticket, after she was narrowly endorsed by the party’s state executive.
Munro will take the legislative council spot held by Peter Polous MLC who was dumped from the Liberal Party’s ticket following reports he shared explicit images of a female colleague five years ago.
Munro’s endorsement by the state executive signals the possible end of NSW transport minister David Elliott’s bid to return to politics via the upper house.
Munro was put forward as a candidate for the upper house seat by the moderate faction, but it caused friction within the party, with the right faction attempting to block her selection. It’s been reported even some moderate members opposed her being chosen.
Munro was criticised by some within the party for her history working for independent City of Sydney councillor Kerryn Phelps, who also entered federal parliament as an independent.
The vote on Wednesday night was close, with Murno only narrowly winning with 13 votes in her favour, 9 no votes, 3 non-votes, 2 abstentions.
Munro’s candidacy was supported by moderate powerbroker and NSW Treasurer Matt Kean.
Charlotte Mortlock, co-founder of Hilma’s Network, a group connecting Liberal-minded women, said Munro’s selection is a win for the party and NSW.
“We have a long way to go, but this is an important win for women in the Party,” Mortlock wrote on Twitter.
“It also makes it easier to recruit women if we have clear examples of the path members can take, climbing up the ranks of membership and then cross over to being Parliamentarians.”
Munro’s selection comes as the NSW Liberal Party has faced backlash for the lack of women it has preselected to seats across the state ahead of the March election. Last month, it was reported that men had been preselected to 10 of the 11 seats across Sydney’s North Shore.