Liberals ask federal bigwigs to weigh in on NSW election disaster

The Liberal Occasion has begun accepting submissions to an inside assessment into the NSW division’s native elections mess — and the purpose individual within the federal workplace is none apart from Josh Manuatu. 

Political information tragics would possibly keep in mind Manuatu from one other messy affair: the 2019 incident the place faux journey figures from the Metropolis of Sydney council made their means right into a media report. On the time, Manuatu was a staffer for then vitality minister Angus Taylor and was recognized in an article by The Australian as being “­concerned in gathering the data that was then handed to The Day by day Telegraph newspaper”. 

Manuatu stored his job and was later made director of the Canberra Liberals. The paperwork saga was probed by NSW Police after which referred to the Australian Federal Police, however the feds by no means proceeded to research, deeming the danger to Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and others “low”. Neither Manuatu nor anybody else was ever interviewed by the AFP over the saga, the drive advised Senate Estimates in 2020. Crikey shouldn’t be suggesting any wrongdoing by Manuatu. 

Crikey was leaked an electronic mail despatched Wednesday morning by Manuatu — now the social gathering’s assistant federal director — to members of the Liberal federal government committee, inviting them to make submissions concerning the NSW division’s “preparedness for the following federal election”. The e-mail notes the assessment, by Brian Loughnane, was commissioned by the federal chief — i.e. Peter Dutton — and the social gathering’s federal president, John Olsen. 

As Crikey beforehand reported, Loughnane’s assessment is due by September 2. Liberal sources have stated a probable end result of the assessment may very well be a Canberra takeover of the marketing campaign for federal seats in NSW.

Manuatu and Dutton’s workplace have been contacted for remark.