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The state director of the NSW Liberal Party has been sacked over the party's failure to nominate dozens of candidates for next month's local government elections.
In a meeting that extended late into last night, the state executive unanimously resolved to get rid of Richard Shields, following calls for him to step down over the "monumental debacle".
NSW Liberal president Don Harwin said the termination was effective immediately.
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"This evening, the state executive convened to address the recent failure of state director Richard Shields to ensure lodgement of nomination forms for Liberal-endorsed candidates for the 2024 NSW local government elections," he said.
"The state director was given the opportunity to explain the circumstances to the state executive.
"This failure to meet such a fundamental responsibility has rendered his position untenable."
Liberal members learned yesterday that the party's head office had missed the deadline to lodge nominations leaving as many as 12 Sydney councils without Liberal candidates for the elections on September 14.
Shields blamed the administrative disaster on a lack of "secretariat resources".
At a press conference earlier yesterday, the NSW Opposition Leader Mark Speakman described the error as a "monumental debacle" and called for Shields to step down.
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"Our party administration has let the candidates, the party members and the general public down," Speakman said.
"Unfortunately, in these circumstances, the state director has to fall on his sword. He is the chief executive who runs the organisation. He is the chief who is responsible. He has to fall on his sword."
He said Shields had failed to undertake what was a "basic administrative process".
"If you don't have the adequate resources, you let candidates know and they can lodge their nominations themselves," he said.
Shields was offered the opportunity to provide a briefing in parliament today but declined the invitation from the opposition leader.
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The head office blunder threw the Liberal Party's local government campaign into disarray, leaving ratepayers in Shoalhaven, Camden, Lane Cove, Northern Beaches, Wollongong, Blue Mountain and Campbelltown with no Liberal candidate to vote for.
Lane Cove Mayor Scott Bennison told 2GB's Ben Fordham today that ongoing "internal politics" in the head office continued to hinder the party's preselection process.
Bennison said he resigned as Mayor for Lane Cove two days ago after the party shafted him from the ticket in favour of a 22-year-old political staffer.
"It's just absolutely hopeless," he said.
https://omny.fm/shows/ben-fordham-full-show/i-quit-liberal-politician-drops-bombshell-live-on/embed
"It's the internal politics in head office, that just delay the preselection of candidates."
Bennison is now running as an Independent in the council elections next month.
The Liberal Party currently has no candidate nominated.
Bennison said while state government also had a part to play in the disaster, Shields needed to be held responsible.
"I think as the man in charge, he should take responsibility for this debacle…It should never have happened," he said.
