Labor poised to unveil barrister Fiona McLeod as Higgins candidate

Labor is poised to switch its candidate for the blue-riband Melbourne seat of Higgins to a high-profile Melbourne barrister as it eyes a potential upset victory in outgoing Liberal frontbencher Kelly O’Dwyer’s seat.

Labor is poised to switch to high-profile Melbourne barrister Fiona McLeod as its candidate for the blue-riband Melbourne seat of Higgins as it eyes a potential upset victory.

Current preselection candidate Josh Speigel, endorsed prior to the shock resignation of Liberal frontbencher Kelly O’Dwyer this year, is understood to have offered his resignation to the Victorian ALP branch late today.

Ms McLeod, who has represented the Commonwealth in major cases including the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sex Abuse, is likely to be endorsed party’s national executive as soon as tonight.

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Ms McLeod has previously been president of the Australia Bar Association and head of Australian Women Lawyers.

She was appointed to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2014.

Labor’s internal polling is understood to show it is a genuine chance to win Higgins, held by two Liberal prime ministers and a treasurer, for the first time in the seat’s 70-year history.

Several published opinion polls have had Labor ahead 52-48 on a two-party preferred vote with the Liberals down around 40 per cent.

Labor is poised to switch to high-profile Melbourne barrister Fiona McLeod as its candidate for the blue-riband Melbourne seat of Higgins.

A senior Labor source told the Herald Sun while the party was not expecting victory on election day, it now wanted to give itself “the best possible chance” to win Higgins.

The source said there was no controversy surrounding Mr Speigel stepping aside.

“Josh is terrific and he’s got a big future, but given how close this race is, we’ll need a heavy-hitter to get is over the line,” the source said.

“We’ve got someone who will help us form government and make a big contribution to the nation.”

The Liberals last month preselected internationally recognised allergist, Professor Katie Allen, to replace Ms O’Dwyer.

But Ms Allen’s losing campaign in the state seat of Prahran has raised some internal doubts over her ability to win over voters.

Labor pulled a similar move in the NSW seat of Bennelong last year following the ousting of Malcolm Turnbull and convinced former Australian Medical Association president Brian Owler to challenge Liberal incumbent John Alexander.

Greens candidate Jason Ball, a prominent LGBTI candidate finished second to Ms O’Dwyer in 2016, but Labor believes it can seduce both Green and Liberal voters at the ballot box in the seat next month.

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Originally published as Labor poised to unveil barrister Fiona McLeod as Higgins candidate