NSW Liberal party denied extension after missing council elections deadline in ‘monumental stuff-up’

State’s electoral commission rejects request from NSW Liberal president after party failed to lodge nominations for more than 130 council candidates

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Jordyn Beazley

Sun 18 Aug 2024 07.39 AESTFirst published on Sat 17 Aug 2024 14.13 AEST

The New South Wales Liberal party has demanded a week-long extension to lodge nominations for more than 130 council candidates after the party missed the deadline in a “monumental stuff-up”.

But acting NSW electoral commissioner Matthew Phillips considered the grounds for the request and on Saturday rejected an extension.

The NSW Liberal party president, Don Harwin, sent a letter to the NSW electoral commission overnight Friday after the party’s head office missed the Wednesday noon deadline to lodge the necessary paperwork to nominate all of its candidates for the local government elections on 14 September.

Guardian Australia understands Harwin gave the electoral commission until 4pm on Saturday to respond, and that the letter detailed “issues” with the electoral process.

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It is understood that the letter also pointed to a section of the Local Government Act outlining that there is discretion around the nomination deadline of the fifth Wednesday before polling day, with the election manager able to determine a different date “in a particular case”.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported that the party was preparing to take legal action against the electoral commission if this discretion was not used to grant an extension.