Ex-Premier Admits He Was Reluctant to Lead Review Into Troubled NSW Liberal Division

Greiner was named chair of a seven-member panel to lead the NSW Liberals.

Australia's Leader of the Opposition Sussan Ley (L) listens as Deputy Leader of the Opposition Ted O'Brien speaks during a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia on May 13, 2025. Saeed Khan/AFP via Getty Images

Former New South Wales (NSW) Premier Nick Greiner admits he did not want to lead the state division’s internal review, conceding he was “caught at a moment of weakness.”

“Frankly, I was not keen to take on the job, it’s a difficult, internally focused sort of job,” Greiner told ABC Radio on June 18.

The statement comes a day after he was appointed chair of a seven-member management committee to probe the troubled state branch, following a federal Liberal Party meeting in Canberra.

The intervention has been extended until April 2026.

“I tried to get out of it but they caught me at Auckland Airport at 4.30 a.m. and I was weak. I don’t mean to be jocular about it; that is actually true.”

Greiner served as premier of NSW between 1988 and 1992.

The federal intervention was triggered after the NSW division failed to nominate candidates for over 140 local government positions in the August 2024 elections due to administrative bungles.

The division has also been plagued by persistent factional feuding and an unwieldy executive board.

Gender, Youth, and Culture Gaps

In taking the reins, Greiner acknowledged the party’s disconnect with key demographics.

“In my political lifetime, we’ve gone from having a clear and sustained gender majority for women [voters] … that’s now been reversed, so of course it is obvious,” he added.

“Particularly federal, we have not done as well as we should have, with women, with young people, and indeed with multicultural communities, so there’s no point denying that, it’s a question of how you fix it.”

His comments differed from those of former committee co-chair Alan Stockdale, who recently told a room of Liberal women that their assertiveness might warrant “reverse quotas” to support men—remarks that drew criticism within the party.

Stockdale and former communications minister, Richard Alston, both Victorians, were appointed last year by then Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to lead the panel.

But concerns over their representation of NSW interests and Stockdale’s remarks made their continuation untenable.

Opposition Leader Sussan Ley confirmed the transition.

“Nick Greiner will chair a panel going forward and will be supported by Peta Seaton, who was part of the previous panel comprising Alan Stockdale and Richard Alston,” she said outside party headquarters.

Post-Election Reckoning

The party also announced a formal review into its dismal performance at the 2025 federal election, in which it retained just six seats in NSW and saw its national primary vote drop to the lowest level since the 1940s.

Former state minister, Pru Goward, and ex-Senator Nick Minchin will lead the review, examining campaign execution, internal structures, and the influence of independent candidates.

“Further relevant matters may be considered as the review progresses, where they are judged to have a material bearing on the party’s electoral prospects,” the party said in a statement.

Submissions will be accepted until Aug. 1. The findings are expected to inform a major overhaul ahead of the next election cycle, as the Liberals attempt to claw their way back into political relevance across both state and federal levels.