He survived 33 years as MP for Mitchell by glad-handing his way into popularity the old-fashioned way, earning the numbers - the support of crucial members of relatively small branches.

After his narrow 58-55 vote victory in the 2003 elections, Cadman told me: ''It's all about the numbers, Col, you know that. I had the numbers.'' But he really didn't.

He was losing support towards the end of the day of the vote when his Christian right-wing colleagues, led by MLC David Clarke, hastily cobbled together a small block of votes to ensure he beat a moderate ''Groupie'' - a small-l Liberal.

But, the right says, it was conditional on Cadman not contesting the 2007 election, to allow generational change. This gave him the time needed to bow out gracefully.

But a year later the right wing realised Cadman intended to fight on.

He claimed in this newspaper that there had been no preselection deal. From that moment on he was a goner.

The branches grew impressively fast, boosting far-right factional power.

The stacks literally outnumbered Cadman's support.

He admitted as much in his written resignation to preselectors, dated June 13 and read out on Saturday: ''I have discussed the situation with my family, my colleagues and supporters and whilst I would like to think my service to the community, the country and the party qualifies me to win, I believe that would not be the case.''

In a month Alan Cadman will turn 70.

But he intends to use the rest of his term ''using every available minute to help my friend, the hard-working member for Macquarie, Kerry Bartlett retain his seat for the Liberal Party''.

Cadman was not at the preselection meeting, but John Howard's right-hand man, the ever controversial Senator Bill Heffernan, was.

Representing the Prime Minister, Heffernan said of young Alex Hawke's victory, that the party needed to use the ''excitement and the momentum of the occasion to now look at our state team and clean out the deadwood.''

A few NSW Liberal MPs in the room would have been chilled at his words.

It's all about the numbers - and the far right has them increasingly.

Just ask Alan Cadman.