Alexander Downer’s daughter Georgina set to stand for Liberals in Mayo against Rebekha Sharkie

REBEKHA Sharkie will stand again for the seat of Mayo — but is likely to face a tough battle from Georgina Downer, the daughter of former Mayo MP Alexander Downer, who is set to put up her hand as the Liberal candidate.

• ANALYSIS: Libs can’t count on Downer dynasty to take Mayo
• By-elections a referendum on company tax, says ALP
• Citizenship saga: Labor Senator Katy Gallagher ruled ineligible
• OPINION: Off to the polls as early as August?
• Rebekha Sharkie resigns following High Court citizenship ruling

REBEKHA Sharkie will quit Federal Parliament and ask the people of Mayo to support her re-election as the fallout of the citizenship disaster rolls on.

The Centre Alliance member is likely to face a battle with Georgina Downer, the daughter of former Mayo MP Alexander Downer, who will put her hand up to be the Liberal candidate.

Analysis of the March State Election results suggests Ms Sharkie faces a tight contest against the Liberals because her party polled only won about 22.5 per cent of the first preference votes.

But if Labor runs dead like the Coalition did in the recent Victorian by-election the Ms Sharkie would likely have an edge.

Ms Sharkie and three Labor members who had been plagued by about over their eligibility fell on their swords on Wednesday after the High Court ruled against Labor’s Katy Gallagher in an “indistinguishable” case.

Former Mayo MP Alexander Downer’s daughter, Georgina Downer. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

Centre Alliance’s Mayo MP, Rebekha Sharkie, speaks to the media on Wednesday. Picture: Gary Ramage

But none of them have handed Speaker Tony Smith their resignation letter which is required to make their departure official and to set by-election dates.

The Advertiser revealed last year that Ms Sharkie was a Brit at the close of nominations for the 2016 election which threw her eligibility into question.

The High Court ruled on Wednesday morning that Ms Gallagher — who was formerly a Senator for the ACT — was ineligible to sit in Parliament because she held a dual UK citizenship at the close of nominations.

The decision prompted Ms Sharkie and Labor’s Justine Keay, Josh Wilson and Susan Lamb to resign taking the total toll of the citizenship saga to 15 victims.

A recount would determine Ms Gallagher’s replacement in the Senate, while by-elections would be held in Adelaide Hills-based seat of Mayo, as well as Braddon in Tasmania, Longman in Queensland and Fremantle in Western Australia.

“The High Court ruling in Gallagher is quite clear. Consequently, I will resign from the Australian parliament,” Ms Sharkie said.

Flanked by Centre Alliance Senators Rex Patrick and Stirling Griff and independents Bob Katter, Cathy McGowan and Andrew Wilkie, Ms Sharkie apologised to the people of Mayo for “the inconvenience a by-election will cause”.

Australia’s High Commissioner to the UK Alexander Downer, and a former federal cabinet minister and Mayo MP. Picture: Ben Stevens

Ms Sharkie, a former Liberal staffer, said she would run as a candidate for the Centre Alliance, formerly Nick Xenophon Team, despite having flirted with a move to the Liberals.

She sensationally confirmed for the first time that she had discussions with the Liberals about rejoining the party despite previous denials.

“I don’t deny that I had conversations with the Liberal Party. I was certainly approached but I’m not interested in joining the Liberal Party and I don’t think they’re particularly interested in having me,” she said.

Liberal sources said Ms Sharkie had reached out to them but wavered on making a decision when she could not be assured preselection.

A meeting of the Liberal state executive is scheduled for Monday night where, if they cannot meet earlier, the pre selection process will likely be determined.

Under party rules candidates are selected through a members’ ballot, however, if the by-election is called at short notice the decision can be made by the 11-member executive.

The conservative-aligned Ms Downer is the-front runner and Cabinet Minister Christopher Pyne — powerbroker for the opposing moderate faction — said he would back her candidacy.

Ms Downer is widely tipped to run for preselection but did not comment on Wednesday.

It is understood Ms Downer, who was born in England in 1979, renounced her UK citizenship last year to avoid her candidacy being thwarted by the same issue that torpedoed Ms Sharkie.

The Advertiser’s Off the Record column, which in January last year revealed her interest in standing for Mayo, last month published a picture of her at the Stirling Anzac Day dawn service, flanked by Liberal Senator David Fawcett and Heysen MP Josh Teague.

Rebekha Sharkie during a debate on the citizenship saga last year. Picture: Kym Smith

Ms Downer is a Seymour College graduate who left SA when she received a scholarship to Melbourne University.

Ms Sharkie said she was not fazed by the potential of facing a member one of the Adelaide Hills’ most powerful family dynasties.

“I’ve never met Georgina Downer, she’s not a local person, she doesn’t live in my community. Who knows if it’s even going to be Ms Downer but I would welcome any challenger,” Ms Sharkie said.

“I’m not going to have the money of the Liberal Party, I didn’t last time and I won’t this time but I’m local and I care.”

Following the court ruling Attorney-General Christian Porter urges Ms Sharkie and the Labor members to resign by close of business on Wednesday.

“The four cases are legally and in principle indistinguishable from each other and indistinguishable from the case of Senator Gallagher,” he said.

The Downer dynasty

Sir John Downer: Premier of South Australia, 1885-87 and 1892-93, Senator for South Australia 1901-03, Legislative Councillor 1905-1915.

Henry Edward Downer: Brother of Sir John. Attorney-General of South Australia 1890-91, MP 1881-1896.

Sir Alexander “Alick” Downer: Son of Sir John. Federal Liberal MP 1949-63. Immigration Minister 1958-1963, Australian High Commissioner to London 1964-1972

Alexander Downer: Son of Sir Alick and grandson of Sir John. Mayo MP 1984-2008, Foreign Affairs Minister 1996-2007 (Australia’s longest-serving), federal Liberal leader 1994-95, Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom 2014-18.

Georgina Downer: Daughter of Alexander. Born Brussels, September 29, 1979. Research fellow Institute of Public Affairs. Previously Australian diplomat in Japan and corporate lawyer in Melbourne.

Sir Alexander ‘Alick’ Downer

Sir John Downer

Super Saturday: The looming by-elections

Mayo

Liberals are hopeful that Georgina Downer can recapture what was once considered a blue ribbon seat for the party.

Crossbench MP Rebekha Sharkie won the seat from her former boss Jamie Briggs in 2016 with almost 55 per cent of the two-party preferred vote and will fight hard to be re-elected. Ms Downer’s father Alexander Downer was the MP for Mayo from the creation of the seat in 1984 until 2008 when he was replaced by Mr Briggs.

Electoral boundaries are being redrawn for the next general election but the by-election will be fought based on the existing boundaries for the electorate, which includes the Adelaide Hills, Fleurieu Peninsula and Kangaroo Island.

ACT Senate

Katy Gallagher lost her seat in the Senate after the High Court ruled she was ineligible to stand for the 2016 election because of her dual citizenship status. A special recount of ballot papers will likely result in her being replaced in by the next candidate on Labor’s ACT Senate ballot, David Smith.

Braddon

Labor’s Justine Keay holds the regional Tasmanian electorate with a 2.2 per cent margin after defeating Liberal MP Brett Whitely at the 2016 election. Former independent senator Jacqui Lambie has ruled out a tilt in her home electorate, creating a straight Labor vs. Liberal race.

Fremantle

Josh Wilson is likely to be re-elected as MP for the safe WA Labor seat, which he holds with a healthy 7.5 per cent margin. Fremantle has been continuously represented by Labor members since 1928.

Longman

Labor’s Susan Lamb captured the southern Queensland seat from the Liberal National Party assistant minister Wyatt Roy in 2016. The government will fancy their chances in a by-election because Lamb has a margin of less than one per cent.

Perth

First-term Labor MP Tim Hammond is resigning for family reasons. Labor holds the seat with a margin of 3.3 per cent. The Labor and Liberal parties are yet to finalise candidates.