In the wake of Human Services Minister Joe Hockey’s attackon the NSW Liberal right yesterday, it was an interesting little group spotted dining at Portia’s in Kingston last night – Hockey, Tony Abbott, his fellow Liberal moderate Chris Pyne, plus a bloke named Turnbull.

“Yesterday Tony Abbott asked us to have a good look at David Clarke and what he stands for in the NSW Parliament,” Hockey said. “I think people all have a responsibility to ask him what he stands for,” before launching into questions about abortion, homosexuality, divorce laws and corporal punishment.

NSW deputy Liberal leader Barry O’Farrell told Hockey to “zip it,” but Clarke responded – through staffer Alex Hawke – kicking the story along nicely.

This issue just won’t go away for the NSW Libs. MLC Patricia Forsythe, who spoke out so vehemently against the “extremists and zealots who have got extreme – who have got a lot of power inside the Liberal Party at the moment” on Stateline last Friday does not have the numbers to get preselected again. Other moderates are under threat in the Legislative Council preselections due later this year.

This strife seems likely to spill over into the federal party. Hockey, the most senior NSW moderate, has every right to be worried about his numbers. His seat of North Sydney includes Anthony Roberts’ NSW electorate of Lane Cove. At the AGM before the last one, Roberts was certain he had the numbers in Hockey’s party conference to roll him.

The tensions are very much out in the open. Meanwhile, splits within the right are rolling along nicely.

Clarke has described alleged comments on Jews as “scandalous” and declared “I’m proceeding (legally) on that issue.” He has said claims that he had made derogatory remarks about Jews and homosexuals are “outrageous lies.”

And Bronwyn Bishop dropped a bucket on comments by former right wing branch stacker and one-time federal candidate Irfan Yusufin Parliament yesterday:

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP (Mackellar) (3.05 pm)—Mr Speaker, I wish to make a personal explanation.

The SPEAKER—Does the honourable member claim to have been misrepresented?

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP—Yes.

The SPEAKER—Please proceed.

Mrs BRONWYN BISHOP—It has come to my attention today that an opinion piece has been authored and distributed by a Muslim activist, known for his offensive behaviour to women, by the name of Mr Irfan Yousef. He has made a number of scurrilous, ridiculous and inaccurate statements concerning me. For the record, I totally refute his statements but, as he has not resorted to bomb throwing, I guess we can handle his accusations.

Subtle as ever, Bronny. That will really hose things down.