In an extraordinary speech to the NSW Parliament on Wednesday evening [August 7], Blue Mountains Labor MP Trish Doyle has named local Liberals who she claims tried to "smear" her name in the lead up to the last State election and other "disturbing developments" within the Liberal party in the Mountains.
"A cancerous cabal of prodevelopment, hard-right factional thugs have begun infiltrating the Blue Mountains Liberal party and trying to oust the sensible centrists," Ms Doyle said.
"This cabal wants to put our local environmental plan through the shredder, install its own candidates on council and usher a new white shoe brigade across the Nepean River and into the Mountains."
Ms Doyle said she had been smeared on March 22 by a text message "circulated amongst Liberals in the Mountains, purporting to be from me, which called upon people to "kick the right-wing arses" of Liberals in the Mountains. This was shared on the Facebook pages of Cr Brendan Christie and State Liberal candidate Owen Laffin in an attempt to smear me before the election."
The MP claims an attempt was being made to install her Liberal opponent Owen Laffin, into council (to replace Daniel Myles) and Forum on Western Sydney Airport representative Jo Bromilow (to replace Brendan Christie) in the Lower Mountains.
It follows The Gazette story last week when ex-mayor Daniel Myles was the subject of an alleged attempted sting operation by Blue Mountains Liberals' Local Government Conference president, Timothy Donelan. Mr Donelan denies he was spying on the ex-mayor.
Ms Doyle was responding to stories in The Blue Mountains Gazette and our sister paper The Hawkesbury Gazette, including claims that Federal Liberal candidate for Macquarie, Sarah Richards, has been "a victim of trolls and bullies - she must surely be having a lend of us".
"I am happy to send her [Sarah Richards] the dossier I have on [her property developer partner] Mr Bennett or Benjamin Matthews or "Matty Ben Boy"- all fake names he uses on social media," Ms Doyle told Parliament.
"The Blue Mountains Liberals are in a lot of trouble at the moment," Ms Doyle said.
The Gazette asked for comment from Ms Richards, Ms Bromilow, Mr Laffin, Cr Christie and the NSW Liberal Party.
The NSW Liberal Party spokesman said: "We are reviewing the information".
Cr Christie said he was "focused on listening to the concerns of the community and representing all residents on council" but "as per the Liberal Party constitution, that binds all Liberal party members, we cannot discuss internal party matters with the media".
