Christopher Pyne tips James Stevens to be his successor as he retires into six-figure paying life

Premier Steve Marshall’s chief of staff James Stevens could be the federal Liberal Party’s successor to veteran Christopher Pyne, who will be retiring to a life that will pay him and his other outgoing colleagues well.

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Outgoing South Australian political heavyweight Christopher Pyne says his protege has the skills needed to replace him in the seat he has held since 1993.

As the party opened nominations for the seat of Sturt, Mr Pyne said James Stevens, Premier Steven Marshall’s chief of staff, has the attributes necessary to fill his shoes.

READ BELOW: Outgoing ministers ready for a rich retirement

But party conservative Tony Pasin, the member for Barker, said a female candidate should be considered for the electorate which the Liberals hold with a 5.8 per cent margin.

“The retirement of Christopher Pyne presents a gilt-edged opportunity for the strong articulate women in the Liberal Party to nominate for preselection in what is the Liberal Party’s safest seat in SA,’’ Mr Pasin said.

Facebook photo of Christopher Pyne with James Stevens in 2008.

“I am certainly encouraging a broad range of candidates but, in particular, those women within our party who would make an incredibly strong contribution to the Parliament.’’

Mr Pyne, the Defence Minister, was relaxed on Saturday after The Advertiser this week revealed his retirement from federal politics.

He dismissed any suggestion his party has shifted further to the right of politics. Mr Pyne, who has won Sturt nine times, said his replacement should be from the area.

Liberal Member for Barker Tony Pasin

“Not some blow-in from outside the electorate,” he said.

“Thirdly, they have to be somebody who can be a Cabinet minister in an Australian government.”

When asked if he would like to see Mr Stevens, pictured above, a former Young Liberals state president and close confidant, replace him, Mr Pyne said his former staffer “is a very fine individual”.

“He is the chief of staff to the Premier, Steven Marshall, was one of a handful of people who were the brains behind our SA election win last March, he’s the president of my federal electorate conference, he’s been campaign manager for Sturt for the last four elections, so he does fit the criteria,” Mr Pyne said.

Liberal state director Sascha Meldrum said the party was confident the preselection process would result in a “highly capable new Liberal candidate to contest the seat of Sturt in the upcoming federal election”.

The party executive on Saturday called for candidates.

Nominations close on Friday before preselection on the weekend of March 23.

Mr Stevens, 35, is expected to put up his hand for preselection and resign from his State Government role as early as on Sunday.

Former Law Society president Morry Bailes, 53, and Burnside councillor Henry Davis, 29, are also understood to be considering nominating.

SA Labor senator Penny Wong said Mr Pyne’s departure left a gaping hole in the Morrison Government.

“He is one of their most senior ministers,” she said.

“He’s Leader of the House, one of their most senior tacticians and, of course, one of the longest-serving Liberals in the Parliament.

“What we are now seeing is a stampede, a stampede for the exit — (Julie) Bishop, (Kelly) O’Dwyer, (Nigel) Scullion, (Michael) Keenan now Pyne and (Steven) Ciobo.”

Labor has not preselected a Sturt candidate but dispute mediator Cressida O’Hanlon, 46, is reportedly a frontrunner.

OUTGOING MINISTERS READY FOR A RICH RETIREMENT

By Annika Smethurst

Retiring ministers Christopher Pyne and Steven Ciobo will pocket six-figure pensions for the rest of their lives regardless of future employment.

In a blow to the Coalition, the two veteran MPs on Saturday announced they would be standing down from parliament at the May election.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who inherited a decade-low number of female MPs, promoted West Australian senator Linda Reynolds to his Cabinet to replace Mr Ciobo.

Steven Ciobo is also retiring.

Mr Pyne, 51, and Mr Ciobo, 44, are two of 10 outgoing MPs eligible for annual pensions worth up to $200,000.

Labor’s Michael Danby, Jenny Macklin and Wayne Swan as well as Coalition MPs Julie Bishop, Luke Hartsuyker and Nigel Scullion will also receive the lucrative annual payment.

Mr Pyne and Mr Ciobo, who had lengthy careers on the frontbench, are entitled to extra cash based on their ministerial salaries that could put them in line for annual payments of $200,000 for life.

In 2004, the controversial Parliamentary Contributory Superannuation Scheme (PCSS) was axed but politicians elected before that date are still entitled to the generous pension. The elevation of Senator Reynolds makes her the seventh woman in Mr Morrison’s Cabinet — the highest number since federation.

Mr Morrison said the Government would maintain at least seven women in Cabinet if re-elected, but current polling predicts the Liberal Party could have fewer than five women in the lower house after the next election.