Zali Steggall to announce she will challenge Tony Abbott for blue-ribbon seat

Winter Olympian Zali Steggall will announce she is going to run against former prime minister Tony Abbott in the blue-ribbon Liberal seat of Warringah at the upcoming federal election.

Tony Abbott will go head to head with former Winter Olympian Zali Steggall at the polls.

• ‘Embarrassing’ Tony Abbott blasted
• Alice Thompson to challenge ‘out of touch’ Abbott

Alpine skier Zali Steggall, the first Australian woman to win a medal at a Winter Olympics, is set announce she will run in former prime minister Tony Abbott’s blue-ribbon Liberal seat at the upcoming federal election.

Steggall, who lives in North Balgowlah, will announce today that she will run as an independent for the Sydney seat of Warringah.

Mr Abbott has held the safe Liberal seat since 1994.

Zali Steggall competing in women’s slalom at 1999 World Alpine Championships.

In a recent post on anti-Abbott social media page “Vote Tony Out”, Ms Steggall wore a shirt emblazoned with the words “Time’s Up Tony”, accompanied by a corresponding comment that was scathing about Mr Abbott’s politics.

“It is ultimately up to us to tell Tony Abbott and all politicians like him everywhere around Australia that there is no place for their divisive, negative and destructive influence,” the Instagram post said.

Layne Beachley has also joined the campaign to oust Abbott, fuelling speculation the surfing champion would also mount a challenge for Warringah, but sources said she spent Australia Day on a beach in Hawaii and had no interest in standing.

Surfer Layne Beachley has also been mentioned as a possible contender.

Steggall was taught at Mosman girls school Queenwood before going on to win bronze at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano in the alpine slalom.

She became a barrister, specialising in corporate and sports law, in 2002.

Steggall was inducted into the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in 2004, and received the Medal of the Order of Australia for her contributions to sport and charities in 2007.

Combining her sports and law degrees, Steggall holds positions at the Australia Sports Anti-Doping Authority (ASADA) and the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

She did not return calls.

Former infrastructure adviser to Malcolm Turnbull, Alice Thompson, will also run against Tony Abbott as an independent.

THREE MINISTERS RESIGN IN A WEEK, LIBERALS’ POLLING ‘DIRE’

Prime Minister Scott Morrison has refused to guarantee other ministers will resign before the election as internal polling confirms the worst.

With Australia Day marking the unofficial start of the election countdown, Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion today called it quits, becoming the third minister to jump ship in a week.

Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion is the third minister to quit politics this week. Picture: Keri Megelus

The resignation of the veteran Northern Territory senator followed the departure of Human Services Minister Michael Keenan and Jobs Minister Kelly O’Dwyer, who both announced last week they would be stepping aside from politics to focus on their families.

A senior Liberal source said the resignations followed the completion of a detailed national poll conducted in December, which showed “situation unchanged”.

Some party officers are understood to have started discussions with MPs over the results, as the party positions itself for the upcoming campaign.

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It is understood the economy, traditionally a vote-puller for the Coalition, was having a neutral effect, with Labor seen as being more effective in tackling the cost of living.

“The results come in with a margin of error, but as it has been situation unchanged for some time now, the margin no longer counts,” the source said.

“It’s dire.”

Mr Scullion announced his resignation at the same time as Mr Morrison was addressing an Australia Day national citizenship ceremony in Canberra.

The Prime Minister brushed off the timing of the departures, saying he respected the choices of the ministers, who would remain in their roles until the election.

Appointing Warren Mundine (left) as the Liberal candidate for Gilmore this week has also caused Scott Morrison some headaches. Picture: Jonathan Ng

“I know Michael (Keenan) had been thinking about this for a long time,” he said.

“All governments refresh and that’s what will happen.”

The resignations come as the Coalition moves to lock down a commitment from Craig Laundy to recontest his marginal Sydney seat of Reid, while it is also unclear if former foreign minister Julie Bishop will hang in until the end.

There is talk Senator Marise Payne may be contemplating an exit, although it is more likely she will wait until after the election.

meanwhile, the Coalition is still scrambling to sort out Gilmore, after the decision to install former Labor national president Warren Mundine into the seat over the locally preselected Grant Schultz.

Senator Scullion thanked his supporters, while paying tribute to the Morrison government.

“There is always much to do and I know that our team, led by Scott Morrison and Michael McCormack, is the only team that delivers for our nation,” he said.

Originally published as Zali Steggall to announce she will challenge Tony Abbott for blue-ribbon seat