Andrew Bragg firms as Liberals’ federal director – The Australian Financial Review

By Wednesday, the Liberal Party of Australia should have named a successor to federal director Tony Nutt. And barring a radical and unforeseen change of consensus amongst Malcolm Turnbull's leadership group, that person will be Menzies Research Centre policy director Andrew Bragg.

Bragg only joined the federal Liberals' think tank in November (from his gig alongside John Brogden at the Financial Services Council) but in that short time has noticeably raised its public profile. He was an unsuccessful Senate candidate in the NSW Liberals' original half-Senate preselection and in the Victorian seat of Murray in 2016 (which the Nationals ultimately took off the Libs on July 2). Andrew Robb, who co-authored the Liberals' review of last year's federal election campaign, launched Bragg's book on trade policy last month.

Bragg is likely to be first appointed in an acting capacity and given the opportunity to prove his credentials in the lead up to an election year. He hasn't run a political organisation before nor has he run a national campaign but is regarded assmart, a skilful organiser in the industrial sense of the word (a rare talent in a movement anathemic to collectivism), is close to Turnbull yet non-factional and well-regarded by conservatives. He is strongly backed in by Victorian Cabinet minister Josh Frydenberg and allies Alan Tudge and Dan Tehan, as well as Senate deputy leader and campaign spokesman Mathias Cormann. And aged 32, we bet he's heard of Big Data and the interweb thingy.

Ultimately the decision is one for federal executive, a parting prerogative of outgoing president Richard Alston, who has presided over an utter failure of succession planning, a rift over opaque spending that resulted in the Honorary Treasurer Phil Higginson resigning,the Victorian director Damien Mantach going to jail for stealing $1.5 million of party funds while Alston sat on its finance committee, and bequeaths a broke party, all while sitting on the board of CPA Australia. Enjoy your trip to Singapore, Dick!

Last week, Alston slipped the removal of Tom Harley from the chairmanship of the MRC (where Bragg now works) into the executive's resolutions, which passed without notice. We doubt he'd try that one again. But you just never know

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Andrew Bragg firms as Liberals' federal director - The Australian Financial Review