Can’t hardly Waite: Liberals chase new candidate to run against Duluk

Conservative Liberals are on the hunt for a new candidate to try to unseat Sam Duluk after he sensationally announced he would stand as an independent

Conservative Liberals are scrambling to find a replacement candidate in the seat of Waite after Sam Duluk sensationally announced he would stand as an independent at the upcoming state election.

The party’s Right has accused Premier Steven Marshall of orchestrating a “complete stitch-up” to oust Mr Duluk, pictured, who made the announcement after allegations of sexism, racism and homophobia were levelled at him by Greens MLC Tammy Franks.

A senior moderate figure said the party was likely to select a female to contest the seat, representing a cultural shift within its ranks.

Several members of the Brownhill Creek branch, created earlier this year within Waite, are tipped to put their names forward. Former party vice-president Cara Miller, Mitcham councillor Adriana Christopoulos and Mel Jones were all elected office bearers of the new branch.

Former Liberal MP Sam Duluk outside the Magistrates court in Adelaide. Picture: David Mariuz

Moderate-aligned party vice-president Rose Miller and Shaun Osborne, who is unaligned, are also expected to run. A senior figure within Mr Duluk’s conservative faction said that group was still “assessing the situation” after his “shock decision”. The source said the moderates were pushing to stage a preselection as soon as possible.

Leah Blyth, the conservative-backed candidate who lost out in the Boothby federal preselection earlier in the year, is one who could nominate.

Other possible conservative contenders include former Law Council of Australia president Morry Bailes, former federal Young Liberals president Jocelyn Sutcliffe, and staffers Zane Basic and Helen Ronson.

It is understood Mr Duluk met with Treasurer Rob Lucas on Thursday to discuss his future, ahead of his announcement that he would contest the election as an independent.

Treasurer Rob Lucas. Picture: David Mariuz

The pair had met semi-regularly, with Mr Duluk understood to consider Mr Lucas, who is non-factional, a valuable sounding board. It is likely that the pair discussed the Liberal state executive composition – a 6-4 majority of moderates over conservatives – as a potential barrier to Mr Duluk being readmitted to the party.

It also is likely they discussed the Liberal candidate selection process, which would almost certainly have excluded Mr Duluk because of the scathing comments made by a magistrate on August 24 when acquitting him of assaulting SA Best MLC Connie Bonaros.

Magistrate John Wells found Mr Duluk not guilty of a criminal offence but branded him “rude, insensitive, uncouth and disrespectful”, and said he owed Ms Bonaros an apology for “behaving like a drunken pest” at a parliamentary Christmas party.