"I've never seen an election where a Liberal candidate is so unliked by such a lot of Liberal members and Liberal voters," Mr Mack told Fairfax Media. Former independent MP Ted Mack will steer Stephen Ruff's campaign in December's North Sydney byelection. Credit:Rick Stevens Up to 550 Liberal branch members were denied a vote after the state executive of the NSW Liberals pushed through a truncated preselection process, ignoring reform proposals put forward by John Howard that would ensure the Liberal rank and file were given a vote. A senior Liberal source insisted there was no fix and that internal democratic reforms, including the trial of plebiscites, agreed to at a recent state council meeting, are not due to start to January 2016 in any case. Mr Zimmerman, who has the critical backing of powerbroker Michael Photios and his moderate faction, was earmarked as the factional candidate even before Mr Hockey delivered his valedictory speech.

Mr Mack said large sections of the electorate were also angered that Mr Hockey, who penned the "age of entitlement" speech, had forced a $1 million byelection to join the diplomatic ranks when he only had nine months or so left to serve. He said the North Sydney electorate was "pretty educated" about politics and had twice proven it was not afraid to install a well-know local independent. When he won North Sydney in 1991, Mr Mack defeated senior Liberal John Spender, the then opposition's foreign affairs spokesman. "The circumstances are such that it's about time someone gave them another poke in the eye," he said. But Dr Ruff, who has worked at RNS for more than three decades, has a huge task to overhaul the Liberals. Mr Hockey secured 61 per cent of the primary vote in 2013. The boundaries of the North Sydney have also changed significantly since Mr Mack won the seat.

Dr Ruff confirmed his intention to stand on Tuesday, 48 hours before nominations close for the December 5 byelection. He has fought hard against plans by the Baird government to sell off land around RNS, arguing that the growing area will require a whole new hospital within 30 years. He was a late entrant into the March state election without any campaign support, taking 10 per cent of the primary vote but falling well short of defeating Health Minister Jillian Skinner in her seat of North Shore. Dr Ruff will outline policies next week but said he would focus on misspending on the federal health budget and radical public transport proposals, including the Hyperloop floating fast train being developed by electric car mogul Elon Musk of Tesla Motors. He said the federal government should junk the $16 billion joint strike fighter contract and withdraw from all military involvement in the Middle East.

"Rather than concentrating on ISIS, I'd like to see the government concentrate on ice. The drug crosses all social barriers, it's awful," he said. RNS has service relationships with the regional towns of Wellington, Narromine and Cobar and Dr Ruff said those areas had been devastated by the ice scourge. Sam Kennard, the owner of Kennard's Self Storage, will represent Senator David Leyonhelm's Liberal Democratic Party while former state Democrat MP Arthur Chesterfield-Evans will represent the Greens. John Ruddick, who recently quit the Liberal Party and said he was considering contesting, said he will support Dr Ruff. Follow us on Twitter