Liberal party must reform

Barry O’Farrell is a formidable leader of the NSW Opposition. In the past year of his leadership, the Opposition have released a comprehensive transport strategy, and have begun ramping up its criticisms of the Government’s policies.
But it takes a unified party, as well a competent leader, to convince voters that the Liberals can lead the state. The antics of the Liberal Right in the electorate of Cook– in which Scott Morrison’s application to join a right wing branch was rejected by the right wing faction - have done much to damage the image O’Farrell has been building of a united Liberal party.
The right wing branch stacking taking place in the Liberal branch of Beecroft, with NSW shadow attorney general Greg Smith believed to be behind the actions, was also under the media spotlight, highlighting just how divided the Liberals are.
The factional brawling in the Liberal party is even making marks in the Student Liberal organisations, with one letter writer to the SMH condemning the right wing rhetoric of the Sydney University Liberal Club. This behaviour can only damage the Liberal party in the eyes of tertiary students, many of whom are young, first time voters.
O’Farrell has even hinted that the right wing factions control the party, saying last week that it will be difficult for the Coalition to be elected in 2011 without organisational reform.
This is a solution touted in an editorial in the SMH on April 4. The editor stated that one of the reasons the public refuses to vote for the Liberals is because it presents an image of a party at war with itself. For O’Farrell to win the election, he must reform the party to expel its disruptive influence. But he cannot do this without the help of Brendan Nelson and the federal and state directors.
The constant internecine brawling in the NSW party, constantly under the microscope of the national media, demonstrates how far the NSW Liberal party must progress before providing the people of NSW with a real alternative government.