‘It is time’: Tony Nutt resigns as Liberal party’s federal director … – The Guardian

Tony Nutt has stepped down as federal director of the Liberal party. Photograph: Lukas Coch/AAP

Tony Nutt has resigned as federal director of the Liberal party, citing 35 years of service to the party and calling for renewal before the next election.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Nutt said he had told the federal president, Richard Alston, that a new director should be appointed to take the party to the next election in two years time.

Malcolm Turnbull has thanked Nutt for his extraordinary service to the party, describing him as the consummate political professional and the Liberal partys most loyal and dedicated servant.

Nutt said he had concluded it is time because of his work over six busy years, including three general elections (Victoria 2010, New South Wales 2015, federal 2016) as campaign director, his work on the 2013 federal election for Brian Loughnane, two transitions for prime ministers Turnbull and Abbott, and [managing] the very difficult Icac matter in NSW in 2014-15 before running Mike Bairds campaign.

In 2014-15 the Independent Commission Against Corruption investigated the New South Wales Liberal party and the Free Enterprise Foundation for allegedly taking donations in breach of electoral law, prompting a string of resignations and causing the NSW electoral commission to withhold public funds until it produced a full list of donors.

Nutt noted that the federal executive would meet later this week and receive a report from Andrew Robb on the 2016 election.

Tonys service over so many years is grounded in a deep love of Australia

Invariably a close result has been the subject of criticism, he said, adding that Robbs report will have a number of important recommendations.

This is as it should be because all parties must continually refine and improve their activities to remain competitive in a robust democratic system like Australias.

Since the 2016 election, Nutt has defended the governments decision not to go negative against Bill Shorten and declared Labors Medicare privatisation assault on the government a cold-blooded lie.

He has also supported a ban on political parties, associated entities and activist groups receiving foreign donations, reforms which have been taken up by the government.

Turnbull said that Nutt was central to the Howard government, in which he served as John Howards principal private secretary and chief of staff.

Tony took over the directorship of the federal Liberal party in late 2015 in very difficult circumstances, he then proceeded to direct the campaign which saw the government returned in the face of a ferocious fear campaign.

Turnbull said politicians and political professionals tended to be deprecated but the truth is they, and the parties they run, make our democracy work.

Tonys service over so many years is grounded in a deep love of Australia and an abiding commitment to our democratic values. I look forward to the next chapter of his remarkable career of public service.

Nutt said it had been a privilege to work for the Liberal party, its thousands of members, supporters and office bearers.

He thanked Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull, saying the prime minister had come into public life for all the right reasons and provided strong leadership for Australia during a challenging period.

Nutt thanked the rest of the current leadership team and former greats of the party and Howard government including Howard, Tony Abbott, Arthur Sinodinos, Peter Costello, and the former premiers for whom he worked: Baird, Ted Baillieu and Dean Brown.

See original here:

'It is time': Tony Nutt resigns as Liberal party's federal director ... - The Guardian