Major Projects Minister Paul Fletcher has warned MPs that parliamentary service is not a job for life.
Amid a concerted effort by Liberal moderates to take seats from the rival conservative faction, Paul Fletcher endorsed preselection challenges as exposing sitting MPs to good, competitive discipline.
Its the democratic process that every parliamentarian in the Liberal Party is exposed to. Thats a good, competitive discipline on all of us. We value competition as a principle in the economy; its a key principle in the way an effective political party works as well.
With Liberal preselections in NSW for the Senate and government-held seats to open today, party sources fear the reluctance of Mr Ruddock and Mrs Bishop to retire their safe northern Sydney electorates will result in attempts to push them out.
Mr Ruddock, who has been in parliament since 1973, has not declared whether he will nominate for the seat.
It is understood that Mr Ruddock, 72, may be told this week that he has lost the support of branch delegates and will be urged to resign.
In the Senate, up to 10 candidates are expected to stand for the four positions on the partys including Senator Heffernan, who will turn 73 this year.
With up to half a dozen sitting MPs facing a preselection it appears the Prime Ministers move to protect sitting members from being ousted has been disregarded.
