Liberal MP Nicolle Flint to quit politics, will not contest seat of Boothby at next election

Liberal MP Nicolle Flint is quitting politics, and will not contest South Australia’s most marginal seat of Boothby in the next federal election.

Boothby MP Nicolle Flint has announced she will not contest the state’s most marginal seat at the upcoming Federal Election.

Ms Flint dropped the news on Friday night, saying it had been “an honour” to represent her constituents in the southern suburbs seat over two terms, but she would not renominate.

“I am grateful to them, and to my Liberal Party members, for giving me this opportunity,” she said.

“I will continue to work hard to serve my local community until the election.

“I will also continue to work hard on policy issues I have championed in my time in Parliament such as endometriosis, stillbirth, improved road and rail infrastructure, the arts and protecting Australia from foreign interference and predatory foreign investment.”

Ms Flint, 42, also said she would support the candidate pre-selected by Liberal Party members to ensure the party was returned to office, “to guide our nation out of the COVID-19 pandemic and beyond”.

Nicolle Flint is quitting politics and will not contest the seat of Boothby next election. Picture: Keryn Stevens

Liberal Party state director Sascha Meldrum said: “The SA party thanks Nicolle for her service to the Federal Parliament and for her dedicated service to her community of Boothby”.

“A proposal to extend the closure date for nominations for Boothby will be decided by the party’s executive this week,” she said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison thanked Ms Flint for her work.

“The public attention from being a Parliamentarian does sometimes attract unacceptable behaviour, and I have admired Nicolle’s efforts to stand against the bullying and nastiness of particular groups and individuals,” Mr Morrison said.

“Throughout those experiences however, Nicolle has kept a laser focus on her community and delivering for the people of Boothby and South Australia.”

In 2019, she held on to the seat, fending off Labor candidate Nadia Clancy, with 51.38 per cent of the two-candidate preferred vote.

The last month has not been smooth sailing for Ms Flint, whose Anzac Highway electoral office was defaced by activists on February 8.

Climate change-focused activist group the Extinction Rebellion staged a protest at the Glenelg East office, writing slogans on the front of the building and the footpath as peak hour traffic passed, prompting a call to the police.

The Australian is reporting that the former adviser to Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson, and Institute of Public Affairs fellow, has decided she can no longer tolerate the pressures of political life as a female MP.

She was stalked and her office was egged and vandalised with grafitti calling her a prostitute during the 2019 election campaign, and The Australian reports she has been devastated by the events that have rocked Parliament over the past fortnight.

Former Liberal staffer Brit­tany Higgins alleged that she was raped by a colleague in the ­office of then defence industry minister Linda Reynolds, leading to other claims about inappropriate sexual behaviour in politics.

Police have also been told of an anonymous letter sent to Scott Morrison detailing historic sexual assault allegations against a minister in his government.

No date has been set for the election, but there has been speculation that it would be held in spring this year – seven months earlier than it is due.