Humphries toppled from ACT Liberal Senate ticket - ABC Online

Updated February 23, 2013 15:40:56

The ACT Liberal Party has dumped long-serving Senator Gary Humphries after a bitter preselection battle.

Former ACT Liberal leader Zed Seselja won today's preselection vote 114 to 84 votes.

Mr Seselja has already paid tribute to Senator Humphries, but says the party has had its democratic say.

But Senator Humphries' supporters emerged from the meeting in an angry mood.

One man declared the result disgusting, and others came out with signs that read, "Shame Zed".

Some in the party believe the preselection process was rigged to render many members ineligible to vote.

But Senator Humphries himself was philosophical.

"I am sad after a long career in politics to have to bow out, but one's time is up sooner or later and obviously today, the view of members is that my time is up," he said.

Senator Humphries has represented the ACT in Federal Parliament for 10 years after a long career in local politics, including a stint as chief minister.

He came to national attention in 2006 when he was the first member of the Howard government to cross the floor in a vote against the disallowance of the ACT's same-sex civil unions bill.

Topics: liberals, federal-parliament, parliament, government-and-politics, act

First posted February 23, 2013 13:30:03