Andrew Constance set to finally return to politics in blow to Labor, polling shows

In a move which could deliver Peter Dutton the Prime Ministership. former NSW Minister Andrew Constance could snatch a key seat from Labor, polling reveals.

Former NSW Minister Andrew Constance could finally make a successful return to politics – delivering Peter Dutton the job of Prime Minister in the process – with polling showing he is set to snatch a key seat from Labor.

Exclusive figures obtained by The Daily Telegraph shows Mr Constance holds a 41 per cent ‘favourable’ rating in the ultra-marginal seat of Gilmore, with current MP, Labor’s Fiona Phillips, at 33 per cent.

The poll of 576 residents living within the Kiama state electorate – which makes up a large chunk of the federal seat of Gilmore – included questions to locals on how they felt towards current leaders around their electorate.

The figures, compiled by Solutify Research also show a huge 60 per cent of respondents felt ‘favourable’ towards current Kiama MP Gareth Ward.

But out of the federal candidates for Gilmore, support for former NSW transport Minister Mr Constance outstripped Ms Phillips.

Liberal candidate for Gilmore Andrew Constance pictured in Nowra. Picture: Jonathan Ng

Mr Constance secured a 12.8 swing towards the Liberals when he ran for the seat in the 2022 federal election, with the seat now the most marginal in the country with Labor holding a razor-thin 0.2 per cent margin.

The seat will be one of the most critical targets for the Coalition as they target a return to government.

Mr Constance previously quit NSW politics to run for Gilmore in 2022. His bid to fulfil a Senate seat vacated by the death of Jim Molan also failed.

Mr Constance, who now lives at Shoalhaven Heads after previously living near Batemans Bay, told The Telegraph his “number one priority is the community”.

Gilmore MP Fiona Phillips. Picture: Facebook

That includes being an advocate for the continued rebuilding of the area after the Black Summer bushfires devastated the region, with Mr Constance saying Labor hasn’t done enough in the past three years to prepare for another horror fire season.

“We’ll be recovering for years and years … in my strong sense, there has been no change since Black summer,” he said.

“The black wattles come back like a jungle, and it’s going to burn. There is this sense there hasn’t been that change we all wanted – roads cleared back, buffer zones, fire trails, and the best we’re getting from federal Labor is they’ve some had meetings- it’s not going to cut it.”

Ms Phillips said “I continue to deliver on my election commitments in Kiama”.

“I have championed and continue to deliver many federal local emergency preparedness initiatives such as fireproof power poles, bushfire havens (and) improved communications during disasters,” she said.

“Apart from significant federal disaster recovery funding to build back roads and community infrastructure, I have ensured additional Infrastructure Betterment Funding to help build roads and infrastructure back better. The Disaster Ready Fund has already delivered well over $12 million across our region.”