Letter to the Editor: Liberal Party branch ‘fractured’

DEAR News Of The Area,

I REFER to an article published in your edition of Friday, 5 September, titled ‘New era’ for Liberal Party Branch’.

While the piece reads as a straightforward press release, it omits the context behind these changes.

The first question that arises from the “significant changing of the guard at the Port Macquarie Branch of the Liberal Party” is simple: what caused this change?

The stark reality is that approximately half of the branch’s membership resigned, and many of these then defected to other parties.

This mass exodus speaks volumes about the dire state of the branch, and the troubling path of the wider Liberal Party’s direction.

It is notable that the new executive emphasises transparency and making members feel welcome.

Yet, several of this new leadership were themselves at the heart of the disputes that fractured the branch and were involved in behaviour at meetings that created an environment many members found uninviting.

The contradiction is plain.

The broader picture is equally troubling.

Across the state, Liberal Party membership is in decline, with membership plummeting and donations being sought with increasing urgency.

The Mid Coast Branch collapsed following the debacle of the NSW State Executive failing to nominate Liberal candidates in time for the 2024 Local Government Elections.

Federally, the situation is equally dire.

The May 2025 election resulted in a devastating loss of approximately 15 Liberal Party seats nationwide.

Your readers deserve the full story behind what is happening within the local Liberal Party.

While I wish the Port Macquarie Branch well, it will take more than a mere headline to overcome the divisions and instability that continue to define it.

Sincerely,
Terry MCDERMOTT,
Former Liberal Member and Port Macquarie Branch President.