Wagga Liberal branch president Colin Taggart resigns over failed attempt to run candidate in NSW general election

Mr Taggart resigned on Tuesday following discussions with Sydney-based Liberal Party officials.

Mr Taggart told The Daily Advertiser that he had quit to allow him to speak freely on Coalition issues and potentially work with other conservative candidates for Wagga.

“Because I disagree with the decision (not to run a Liberal candidate), I think it’s probably best that I resign from the party,” he said.

“Then that gives me the freedom to criticise the National Party and the freedom to then organise an independent Liberal candidate or Australian Conservatives candidate outside the constraints of Liberal Party policy.”

Mr Taggart this week emailed party members calling for a meeting to debate a motion aimed at forcing the Liberal Party to run a candidate for Wagga in the general election.

The meeting, which would have taken place on Saturday, would have debated the motion: “If the Liberal Party will not run an endorsed candidate in March this SEC (state electorate conference) resolves to support an Independent Liberal.”

“I have spoken with head office and we have both decided that the best thing for the Liberal Party would be to not proceed with the meeting,” Mr Taggart said.

“After a very positive conversation with Liberal HQ, they made it very clear that the decision (not to run) has been made and that decision was not going to change.

“Whilst I disagree with that decision, I am going to abide by it. I don’t see any further point in trying to change that decision.”

In response to Mr Taggart, a Liberal Party spokesman said the party “would not field a candidate in Wagga for the 2019 general election.” 

Mr Taggart said he had spent the past few months trying to get a Liberal candidate to run in Wagga because of his “passionate beliefs”.

“It’s been a Liberal Party seat for 60 years and we have got 25 per cent of the first preference votes,” he said.

“I am very disappointed that we are not running a Liberal Party candidate and many Liberals want to have a Liberal candidate.

“However, I respect the party’s decision. There's not chance of changing that decision so there’s no point in having a meeting.”

The Liberal Party’s executive last year voted not to run a candidate following the defeat of Julia Ham in the September byelection.

Prior to the byelection, NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro and Premier Gladys Berejiklian had agreed that the Nationals would not run.

Wagga’s Liberal MP Daryl Maguire resigned from Parliament in August following an Independent Commission Against Corruption hearing, creating the opportunity for the two Coalition parties to run against each other.

Mr Taggart, a magazine publisher in Wagga, has been the branch’s president for the past two years, during which the party lost the seat to independent Joe McGirr.

The fallout from the loss generated ongoing turmoil within the party and with its Coalition partner, the Nationals.

Some Wagga Liberals have questioned Mr Taggart’s judgement and claimed the party has suffered a significant loss in membership.

Mr Taggart’s email to Liberal members this week contained a number of disparaging comments about the National Party.

Mr Taggart warned members that if the Nationals won in March, the “Liberals will never be able to field a candidate again and the party is effectively dead in Wagga” 

“The Nats cannot represent Wagga as they are a farmers party with an agricultural focus. The mainly urban population of Wagga has different priorities to farmers,” Mr Taggart wrote in the email.

“Wagga is the biggest inland city in NSW where the majority of the electorate have the concerns of city dwellers - most citizens come from metropolitan areas not farms.

“The Nats are agrarian socialists who do not share the conservative and liberal values or concerns of urban voters in the City of Wagga.”

Wagga-based NSW Nationals MP Wes Fang said it was not his place to comment about the Liberal Party and referred questions about Mr Taggart’s remarks to the Liberal’s Sydney office.

While you’re with us, did you know that you can now receive updates straight to you inbox each day at 6am from the Daily Advertiser? To make sure you’re up to date with all the Wagga news sign up here.