Eric Abetz dumped from top spot on Liberal party’s Tasmanian Senate ticket

Preselection vote leaves the long-serving powerbroker in hard-to-win third place at the next federal election

The influential Tasmanian conservative powerbroker Eric Abetz has been demoted to third place on the Liberal party's Tasmanian Senate ticket in a shock preselection vote.

It could signal the end of Abetz's almost three-decade Senate career, given that third place on the ticket is difficult to win.