Zed Seselja loss sparks push to clean out Canberra Liberals committee

Declaring "enough is enough", the Gary Humphries-led Menzies Group is pushing for the resignation of five members of the committee it says must be held accountable for the Liberals' 2020 ACT election defeat and Mr Seselja's historic Senate defeat earlier this year.

The moderate-aligned group circulated a petition to Canberra Liberals members on Thursday, hoping to gather enough signatures to call a special meeting of the division.

It would use the meeting to attempt to pass a motion demanding five committee members - including branch president John Cziesla - accept responsibility for the election results and immediately resign from their positions.

Mr Cziesla, party director Keiran Douglas and Canberra Liberals leader Elizabeth Lee would not comment on internal party matters when contacted about the petition by The Canberra Times.

However, a Canberra Liberals spokesman noted the committee positions were already up for re-election before the end of the year.

Mr Seselja's defeat to former rugby star David Pocock at the May federal election has left the Canberra Liberals without a Senate seat for the first time in more than 46 years, sparking an internal fight for the future direction of the branch.

The moderates have been agitating for reform for years, concerned the branch has become too conservative and therefore unelectable in progressive Canberra.

The Canberra Times has obtained a leaked copy of the Menzies Group's petition, as well as an email to members from secretary Mr Humphries' wife, Cathie Humphries.

In the email, Mrs Humphries said a "wholesale cleanout" of the committee was needed to "reverse this spiral into failure".

The groups wants the resignation of the branch president, vice-president, policy committee chair, honorary treasurer and finance committee chair.

"The Menzies Group believes that this [Seselja's] shocking result speaks to deeper problems in the ACT Division of our party," the email read.

"The Federal outcome comes on top of an equally shocking result in the 2020 election for the ACT Legislative Assembly. After two decades in opposition, our party went backwards at that election - losing both vote share and seats.

"Enough is enough.

"We believe that the leadership of our division, which has overseen these two disasters without taking any responsibility for them, must be held to account.

"As members of this party, we have both the right and the duty to scrutinise the performance of our party leaders, and to take appropriate action if that performance is lacking."

In mounting its case against the committee, the group accused it of failing to deliver on its core responsibility of ensuring a Liberal was elected to the Senate.

It also argued that repeated warnings from members about its election strategy and electorate "assumptions" were ignored.

"The Canberra Liberals are at a crossroad," the email read.

"It's vitally important that the path to reform and renewal is taken, but unless members act that won't be the case."

Mr Humphries, who is a former ACT Chief Minister and Liberal Senator, declined to comment when contacted by The Canberra Times.

Mr Seselja hasn't held a press conference since election night on May 21, with his only public comments made via Facebook, written statements or letters to supporters.

In a letter to supporters after his Senate loss was confirmed, Mr Seselja rounded on his critics while defending his record.

He said shifting the Canberra Liberals to the left - as party figures including Mr Humphries have called for - would be "both wrong in principle and ultimately futile electorally" in the ACT.

"It's not always easy to stand up to the Labor/Green left in Canberra but it's important that there is a political movement which does," he said.