Liberal moderates have met to select their pick to take over the Senate spot of retired former foreign minister Marise Payne.
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An internal brawl is brewing to take over the NSW Liberal Senate spot as two key moderates emerge, threatening to split the vote.
Former NSW treasurer Andrew Constance, who failed to claim the federal seat of Gilmore and fell short of the votes needed for the last Senate spot, is hoping it's third time lucky to enter federal politics.
But ousted Liberal moderate Dave Sharma, who lost his seat of Wentworth to Allegra Spender in the 'teal' wave at the last election, has also thrown his hat in the ring.
The right faction of the state branch is also hoping to install a candidate after the last vacancy caused by the death of Jim Molan, a conservative, was filled by moderate Maria Kovacic.
Former ACT senator Zed Seselja, who lost his seat to independent David Pocock in 2022, could unite the right but his staunchly conservative views are seen as unpalatable for moderates.
Liberal MP Alex Hawke will likely hold the deciding vote, being in charge of the centre-right faction whose alignment will give either side the number to install their candidate and his faction having no obvious horse in the race.
A moderate faction meeting on Friday was apparently told Mr Hawke - a former Morrison government minister - was no fan of Mr Seselja.
One moderate powerbroker called the former senator's views extremist, while there were concerns it wouldn't be a good look if the best the NSW branch could do was someone from the ACT.
A section of moderates also want a commitment from Mr Constance to run for the seat of Gilmore again, which would avoid a pre-selection showdown with Senator Kovacic in the future.
Labor retained Gilmore on a slim 0.2 per cent margin after Mr Constance defied a national trend and gained a 12.8 per cent swing towards the Liberals.
The coalition Senate ticket usually alternates between Liberals and Nationals candidates and Liberal moderate and conservative picks oscillate to quell factional fights.
This means the Senate selection will snowball into the future with a selected moderate coming up against one of their own in Senator Kovacic for pre-selection when both Senate terms expire in 2028.
There are also concerns about a split between metropolitan and regional Liberals on the ticket with Mr Sharma being from the affluent eastern suburbs and Senator Kovacic, from Sydney's west, taking the spot of the regionally-based Mr Molan.
Mr Constance hails from the NSW south coast. He also has the backing of Ms Payne and her husband, former NSW government minister Stuart Ayres.
A Senate candidate will be selected by the end of November.
There is also anger about a push by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to pre-select candidates for lower house seats in Sydney's north shore before a boundary redistribution has taken place.
A northern Sydney seat could be lost in a shake-up of electorate divisions due to Australia's population spread, with the Australian Electoral Commission yet to decide if an electorate gets abolished in Sydney and created elsewhere.
A moderate powerbroker said it was "insanity" a candidate would be pre-selected for the seat of North Sydney when it could be abolished and the Liberal Party had not yet even put in their submission to the AEC about the redistribution, AAP was told.
Australian Associated Press
