rewrite this title Former PM to blame for damaged brand, NSW Liberal election review finds

Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s leadership “damaged” the Liberal Party’s image and contributed to its election defeat in New South Wales, an internal review has found.

Former NSW Liberal MP Peta Seaton and former premier Nick Greiner are finalizing a review of the party’s March state election defeat and have briefed the Liberal party room of New South Wales on Tuesday.

The Coalition lost the New South Wales election in March, ending a 12-year reign in the state.

Liberals with knowledge of Tuesday’s meeting told the ABC that critics felt the federal Liberal party had “damaged the brand.”

Nick Greiner looks back on the Liberal Party’s defeat in the March elections.(PAA: Mick Tsikas)

One MP said the damage was caused by the Robodebt scandal, as well as revelations that Mr Morrison had secretly appointed himself to multiple ministerial portfolios during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Critics said the main reason voters did not re-elect the party was a feeling that it was “time” for a change of government.

Critics have also cited the NSW Liberal Party’s own scandals, including the appointment of former deputy premier John Barilaro to a lucrative business job in New York, from which he later withdrew.

Liberal MPs were also told that former premier Gladys Berejiklian’s popularity was “stratospheric” and that had she remained leader the party could have won another term.

Ms Berejiklian’s popularity could have helped the Liberal party win another term had she remained as party leader.(PAA: Lukas Coch)

Ms Berejiklian resigned from her leadership role in October 2021 after the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) announced she was being investigated for breach of public trust.

The ICAC released its report in June, revealing Ms Berejiklian and her then-boyfriend, former Wagga Wagga MP Daryl Maguire, had both engaged in “serious corrupt conduct”.

Mr Greiner and Ms Seaton are understood to have told MPs that former Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet was “popular” but had not had enough time in office to reach Ms Berejiklian’s level of popularity.

The NSW Liberals were also asked to invest more in social media to “get the message out”, particularly to younger voters, and an “editorial in the Daily Telegraph” was no longer heard from. the same impact.

An MP said Ms Seaton had also flagged “bad behaviour” by all 28 members of the party’s state executive, telling MPs that if she behaved like this on a board of directors a company, she “would be in prison”.

It is understood the behavior Ms Seaton was referring to involves party infighting and poor governance.

The state executive is expected to receive a final report on the election defeat this year.