Former New South Wales premier Nick Greiner has warned the Liberal federal executive that suppressing a review of the party's 2025 election defeat risks a backlash from members and the media. Greiner, a senior Liberal figure, raised concerns during a meeting of the party's top decision-making body, according to multiple sources.
The review, conducted by Pru Goward and Nick Minchin, examined the party's worst election defeat. Its release was delayed after former leader Peter Dutton objected to findings about him and his chief-of-staff. The report reportedly recommends that the parliamentary leader should not be allowed to sideline the party's head office and run the campaign independently.
Both Goward and Minchin have publicly expressed disappointment over the decision to shelve the report, which has angered some Liberal MPs. Gisele Kapterian, who narrowly lost the seat of Bradfield, said keeping the report under wraps does no favours and hinders a holistic strategy.
Sources confirmed the review is scathing of Dutton's team and also criticises current leader Angus Taylor and his deputy Jane Hume over their roles in the campaign. Taylor was involved in opposing Labour's tax cuts, while Hume was linked to a controversial work-from-home policy and comments about Chinese spies that were blamed for losing votes in seats with significant Chinese Australian populations.
Taylor, who is on the federal executive, defended the decision to suppress the review, saying the party needs to look forwards, not backwards. He acknowledged the election outcome was poor but argued that finger-pointing is unproductive.
