Liberal Party member John Ruddick threatened with suspension after reform push

Updated

A long-time Liberal Party member who has called for reform of the New South Wales branch has been threatened with suspension after he spoke to the ABC's 7.30 program.

Mortgage broker John Ruddick has been a dyed-in-the-wool Liberal for 20 years and last year he won nearly 40 per cent of the vote as runner-up for NSW party president.

But now he is facing a five-year suspension from the party.

"I was only on [the] show for 10 seconds. They are suspending me for five years because I am the biggest threat that they have to the factional stranglehold that they have had in decades," he said.

When Tony Abbott became Prime Minister, one of his first actions was to ban registered lobbyists from party positions.

On 7.30 last week, Mr Ruddick called for the ban to go further.

"People who are registered lobbyists have now resigned, but there are a significant group of people who are in-house lobbyists, and if these reforms that I am proposing come in, they wouldn't be able to serve," he said.

As a result of Mr Ruddick speaking out, the NSW Liberal Party executive has begun proceedings to suspend him. In a letter, state director Mark Neeham wrote:

"On 25 September you were interviewed on the ABC's 7.30 Report by Matt Peacock. I did not authorise the interview."

Accordingly, the executive has resolved to suspend Mr Ruddick for between two to five years.

Former federal Liberal minister Ross Cameron is also campaigning for member plebiscites and an end to factional branch-stacking.

"It is somewhat embarrassing to me. If Ruddick is guilty then I must be his co-accused," he said.

"It does make my position difficult. And if the party continues down this path it is not just going to have consequences for me, but for a whole range of people who are watching this with acute attention."

"I think a normal fair-minded person hearing that a 10-second grab produces a five-year suspension, which is effectively let's be honest, [it's] an expulsion. Nobody has two lifetimes, five years is an expulsion.

"It is totally disproportionate and frankly, it will only make Ruddick stronger because it is so obviously an unjust response."

Mr Ruddick today again emailed 10,00 NSW Liberal members warning them of his possible suspension. If it goes ahead, he has vowed to redouble his efforts.

'We would expect this in North Korea'

Joe Francis, now Western Australia's Correctional Services Minister, was for 10 years active in the NSW division - both as president of a Young Liberals branch and of a senior Party branch.

"To expel someone from a political party because of their campaigning for democratic reform is something that we would expect in North Korea, not in the Liberal Party," he said.

"I would suggest that the New South Wales Liberal Party needs to take a good hard look at itself rather than castigating and putting into exile someone like John Ruddick who is campaigning for democratic reform.

"This guy should be given a medal, not exiled. It is unacceptable and the Liberal Party of New South Wales needs to consider its future."

The move against Mr Ruddick is seen by many fellow Liberals as a rearguard action by an executive still dominated by lobbyists.

None of the party executive were publicly defending their decision today, including the man who can speak to the media, state party president Chris Downy.

He is also CEO of the Australian Wagering Council and under the new rules, he can continue to be party president and a full-time lobbyist for the online gambling industry.

"When I last saw Chris Downey he gave me two business cards: one as president of the NSW Liberal Party and one outlining his position as a senior lobbyist in the gambling industry," Mr Francis said.

"Integrity, like justice, it has to be seen to be done, especially in political parties and especially in political parties where we are trying to rebuild confidence of the public in the integrity of the system of government."

"In this case, the New South Wales Liberal Party has some serious self-examining to do."

Topics: liberals, political-parties, government-and-politics, sydney-2000

First posted