Co-author of Liberal election review says party members will be ‘horrified’ at decision to suppress it

The co-author of the Liberals’ election review, former minister Nick Minchin, has lashed out at the party’s Friday decision to suppress its publication.

Minchin said he was “extremely disappointed” and surprised at the decision, made by the party’s federal executive. It went against earlier assurances he and his co-author, former New South Wales state minister Pru Goward, had been given, he said.

Minchin told The Conversation he thought the suppression would go down badly with thousands of party members, supporters and donors. “They will be horrified by the decision to bury the review into a shocking election result.

"And many candidates who lost seats or failed in their attempt to win seats will be extremely disappointed.”

Minchin was especially surprised that not even the review’s recommendations, which the party says it has accepted, would be made public.

He said when he and Goward took on the task of doing the review, both the then leader, Sussan Ley, and party president John Olsen, had said it would be published in full.

Opposition leader Angus Taylor took part in Friday’s meeting. It is understood that while he did not lead the argument for suppression, he did not want the review published, with the bad publicity that would bring, especially given the looming Farrer byelection which will be the first test of his leadership.

The review, with its unvarnished assessment of the disastrous Liberal campaign, had already run into earlier trouble. It was about to be released before Christmas when former opposition leader Peter Dutton claimed it potentially defamed him and his former chief of staff. Some adjustments were made as a result of discussions with Dutton and lawyers.

The Liberal Party in its statement after Friday’s meeting did not give reasons for suppressing the report.

It said the review “recognises the Party’s enduring strengths. It also sets out where processes failed, where connection with voters was lost, and where we must do better.”

The election result was “a decisive defeat”.

“We accept that verdict. We also accept the responsibility to change.

"What’s important now is that we strengthen our Party for the future.

"To do so, the Federal Executive will move quickly to drive implementation.”