Candidates line up for federal election fight

Tom McIlroy and John Kehoe

Nov 14, 2021 – 4.00pm

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Former Liberal MP Craig Kelly will face another community-backed candidate at next year’s federal election, widening the field in a key marginal seat the Coalition must win back.

Consultant Linda Seymour will run as an independent in the Sydney seat of Hughes, seeking to oust Mr Kelly off the back of community anger over his fringe positions on COVID-19 vaccines and public health conspiracy theories. Mr Kelly is backed by Queensland billionaire Clive Palmer.

Tom McIlroy was the Financial Review’s Canberra bureau chief.

John Kehoe is economics editor at Parliament House, Canberra. He writes on economics, politics and business. John was Washington correspondent covering Donald Trump’s first election. He joined the Financial Review in 2008 from Treasury.