Former Howard Government minister Jackie Kelly has quit the Liberal Party, saying the organisation is “cancer-ridden” and “run by lobbyists”.

In her resignation letter, Ms Kelly said contaminated preselection processes were a ‘cancer’ within the organisation, with “disgraced former members actively involved in party processes”.

“I would rather be outside the tent and use my voice rather than have it silenced by being inside an organisation happy to reform electoral laws but not prepared to reform itself,” Ms Kelly wrote.

Speaking on Sky TV’s program The Nation on Thursday evening, the former Member for Lindsay said there was “something wrong” with the party.

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“You can’t have eight or nine people in front of ICAC [Independent Commission Against Corruption] and say nothing’s wrong with your organisation. It’s just not credible,” Ms Kelly said.

“There’s no whistleblowing going on. There’s no one to whistle blow to. There’s no confidence in state executives.”

The former minister said she hoped her decision would help reform the New South Wales branch of the Liberal Party, which has been rocked by claims that Liberal MPs received over $1 million in illegal donations.