A fresh round of factional warfare has broken out among Liberals in New South Wales over who should fill a coveted Senate spot, as the party licks its wounds in the wake of two consecutive election defeats.
Several candidates have nominated for the party's fourth NSW Senate spot, which became vacant in January after the death of Jim Molan, who was one year into his six-year term.
Former NSW cabinet minister and Bega MP Andrew Constance and Maria Kovacic – who contested the seat of Parramatta at last year's federal election — have both been endorsed by the moderate faction and are considered early frontrunners in the race.
Ms Kovacic resigned as the NSW Liberal president this week to nominate for the Senate spot, suggesting a level of confidence that she has sufficient support to prevail when Liberal members vote in late May.
But suspicions of a cross-factional deal have infuriated some Liberals, who have begun an internal smear campaign against Ms Kovacic, questioning her family's ethnic heritage.
The source of the message is unknown and the ABC has sought to contact Ms Kovacic, but Liberal Party rules prevent candidates in preselection contests talking to the media while engaged in the process.
The message has been viewed as the opening salvo in a bitter factional fight, with former foreign minister Marise Payne expected to announce her retirement this year, opening another casual vacancy to be filled by the Liberal Party.
The NSW division has been riven by infighting for years as the moderates, centre-right and conservatives jostle for control over the party and ultimately influence preselections at both state and federal elections.
Private Liberal women's group expresses fury at preselection conduct
Separate to the the unsourced text message circulating among Liberals, the ABC has seen comments posted in a private Facebook group of about 450 Liberal women in which former NSW women's council president Mary-Lou Jarvis lashed out at how the latest preselection contest had been handled.
"I no longer see the party’s values reflecting mine," she told the group in a post leaked to the ABC.
Ms Jarvis, who ran on the party's Senate ticket in last year's election, planned to nominate for the senate vacancy but told the group her efforts had been thwarted by "factional players".
"The way that the party is being governed at present leaves me, like many of you, so astounded that I have no faith in the process," she said in a Facebook post leaked to the ABC.
"I want no part of a show that will not give voice to the views and concerns of people and members in the 'real world' like me due to factional and behind the scenes deals done by those operating in 'the know'.
"I regrettably expect the vacancy will be filled by someone with an unhealthy support of factional players."
Former Member for Lindsay Fiona Scott has also put herself forward to fill the Senate vacancy and before nominations closed on Thursday, the Liberals' controversial Warringah candidate Katherine Deves had also expressed an interest in contesting the position.
