The Eden-Monaro Liberals face a "large debt" and may struggle to field a candidate in the former bellwether seat as recriminations continue after a failed campaign at the last election.
Almost two dozen Liberal members in Eden-Monaro have voted to prevent Jo van der Plaat, the 2025 candidate, and former federal electorate committee members from working as part of the committee again.
Spending on the 2025 federal election campaign blew out and left members in the electorate, which includes Queanbeyan, Goulburn, Cooma and Tathra, with a debt of more than $100,000, two sources said.
Party members were deeply concerned by "such a large outstanding debt" that they believed could thwart efforts to preselect an Eden-Monaro candidate at the next federal election, minutes from an April 2026 general meeting of the Goulburn branch of the NSW Liberals revealed.
"This large debt puts in doubt the viability of the Eden-Monaro [federal electorate committee] and its ability to recruit the best possible candidate for the next federal election who will be severely constrained should this debt remain outstanding," one member said.
Twenty-one members unanimously voted to conduct an internal audit of the Eden-Monaro federal electorate committee finances "to account for the large monetary deficit incurred" during the last campaign and to "recommend steps to prevent future deficits".
The results of the audit were to be provided to the Goulburn branch within 90 days; however, it is understood the audit was never done.
Later in the general meeting, members unanimously voted that all immediate past members of the Eden-Monaro federal electorate committee, including the previous Liberal candidate Jo van der Plaat, be excluded from standing for the committee in the future.
The party's state division was also tasked to elect a new Eden-Monaro federal election committee within 60 days, which has since taken place.
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A NSW Liberals spokesperson said the party was proud to stand up and speak up for the Eden-Monaro community.
"We will continue advocating for this community and run a vigorous Liberal campaign at the next election - and with the community's support hopefully deliver a Liberal victory and a Liberal government," the spokesperson said.
"The party will have the best candidate possible contesting Eden-Monaro for the Liberal team at the next election."
In the 2025 election, Ms van der Plaat suffered a 2.5 per cent first-preference swing against the Liberal Party in Eden-Monaro, attracting just 31.9 per cent of the primary vote. A 4.5 per cent first-preference swing towards Labor re-elected incumbent Kristy McBain, with 57.2 per cent of the two-party preferred vote, solidified the party's hold on the former marginal seat.
Ms van der Plaat, who declined to comment, opened her own legal firm in Cooma in June 2026.
Between 1972 and 2013, Eden-Monaro was won by the party that formed government, making it one of the country's best-known bellwether seats. Labor has held the seat since 2016.
Goulburn became part of the Eden-Monaro electorate in the 2025 federal election. Previously, it was part of the Hume electorate that is held by federal Liberals leader Angus Taylor.
The Canberra Times revealed in early 2026 that dozens of Eden-Monaro voters had felt intimidated by "aggressive" behaviour from Plymouth Brethren members volunteering for the Liberal Party.
