Preselection candidate and retired major general Jim Molan has dared the New South Wales Liberal party to expel him by speaking publicly to broadcaster Alan Jones.

Ordinary Liberal party members are not entitled to speak in public on party matters but his comments come as the party prepares for a bruising fight at the weekend “futures convention” to discuss the party’s constitution.

An architect of the government’s border policies, Molan is one of a number of high-profile members who accuse the moderate or left faction, including the former NSW minister turned lobbyist Michael Photios, of wielding too much power in the party.



They are turning up the heat in a campaign to win support for the Warringah motion, hatched in Tony Abbott’s seat by his federal electorate conference president, Walter Villatora. Abbott has spoken out in favour of reform since losing the leadership. A former member, John Ruddick, has predicted a split if the rule change does not happen.

John Howard originally proposed the rule change in a review of the party after he lost government and has since backed the change. Other high-profile supporters include the monarchist and legal academic David Flint and the assistant cities minister, Angus Taylor, who says people are regularly barred from joining the party in order for powerbrokers to maintain control.

If passed and accepted by the party’s governing body, the state executive, the Warringah motion would give ordinary members a vote in local preselections for all MPs and office bearers.

Molan said while he respected the prime minister and the premier, the members had a right to seize back the party.



“This party is not owned by the prime minister, it’s not owned by the premier or elected parliamentarians, much less it’s not owned by factions, it’s owned by us, the members,” Molan said. “There is a great old military philosophy of what you walk past you condone.”

Tony Abbott urged Liberal members to vote for the Warringah motion because the NSW party had too many lobbyists and factional warlords.

“That means one member one vote for all positions, particularly the preselection of candidates because at the moment we’ve got too many lobbyists, too many factional warlords who are pulling the strings,” Abbott told 2GB.



“We don’t want our party to in any way resemble the faceless men of the Labor party and if we want the Liberal party to be a better party, I think we’ve got to get out there on Sunday in particular, and vote for one member one vote.”

Molan urged Malcolm Turnbull and the NSW premier, Gladys Berejiklian, to use their authority to ensure there were no last-minute motions and that the conference was conducted fairly. Turnbull has previously supported more open preselections in NSW.



Fifteen-hundred members have registered for the event where the prime minister will speak on Saturday and the premier on Sunday.

It begins with a party state council meeting on Friday night, followed by a day of debate before the motions are discussed on Sunday.

After a video on “what it means to be Liberal”, debate topics include “Future challenges” and “Does gender really matter?” On Saturday afternoon, members will discuss how the party can remain relevant, winning back the youth from the left, social media in modern campaigning as well as preselection.

Opponents of the change in preselection rules suggest it will lead to branch stacking. The Liberal backbencher Julian Leeser and the assistant immigration minister, Alex Hawke, have suggested compromise motions that impose waiting periods before members can vote, activity tests and a grandfather clause to protect sitting members. Both MPs have been contacted for comment.



Molan described alternative motions as “the plebiscite you are having when you are not having democracy”.

“Its not a play to replace the current lobbyist influence, leftwing faction with a rightwing faction,” Molan said. “All factions within this party over the last number of years have been as bad as each other.

Molan said other Liberal state divisions were doing better than NSW because their constitution allowed forms of plebiscites.



“If it was a fair contest, one person one vote, we will get through this contest no problem at all because it is what the people want,” Molan said. “Brave elected members of parliament who have worked for their people over time should have nothing to fear by sitting in front of their people and saying vote for me.”

The NSW Liberal party was contacted for comment.