Ex-NSW transport minister Andrew Constance in Senate tilt next week

After months of speculation, former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance has decided whether to nominate for the Senate next week and become ‘the voice for country people’.

Long-serving former NSW cabinet minister Andrew Constance will nominate for the vacant Senate position next week, in his bid to become the voice for the bush in federal parliament.

The former transport minister — who took on Scott Morrison over his response to the Black Summer bushfires — will have cross-factional support for filling the vacancy created by the death of Jim Molan.

The long-anticipated nomination ends months of speculation as to whether the ex-member for the state seat of Bega would have a tilt at the Senate, given his interest in having a second shot at seizing the federal seat of Gilmore from Labor.

Mr Constance, who quit state politics to run for the seat, lost to Labor’s Fiona Phillips by less than 400 votes.

However, he beat Ms Phillips on primaries – a trend that went against what happened in other Coalition seats.

Andrew Constance will nominate for the vacant Senate seat. Picture: Richard Dobson

With the Senate vacancy a right-wing spot, there has long been talk of a deal between the factions where Mr Constance would give up the position at the federal election to vie for Gilmore.

A Liberal source said Mr Constance was “open” to having another shot at Gilmore given how

close he came seizing the seat.

The source said the argument for selecting Mr Constance for the Senate spot was the fact it was a “country” position, with Mr Molan having been based in Queanbeyan.

“The Senate spot has traditionally been filled by duty senators for country seats, so ultimately Andrew would be continuing their good work,” the source said.

“He will be the voice for the country people.

“After the NSW election, there is a sea of red (Labor-held seats) throughout from Sydney to the Victorian border. We can’t let Labor just continue to entrench themselves.

“Andrew has a connection with country people, especially after the Black Summer bushfires and the floods.

“He gets it.”

Noting the city addresses of some of Mr Constance’s rumoured rivals, the source said: “Regional people need a voice in the Senate, not someone that gets on an aeroplane and drops in for a day or two.”

Mr Constance was a vocal critic of the Commonwealth’s response to the bushfires, which threatened his home in Malua Bay on the NSW South Coast.

After locals responded angrily to a visit by Mr Morrison, Mr Constance declared the then-PM had received “the welcome he probably deserved”.

However, he defended Mr Morrison’s leadership during the floods, claiming the former Liberal leader had learnt from the backlash to his handling of the bushfires.

Mr Constance is expected to face competition for the Senate spot, with speculation right-wing former NSW Upper House president Matthew Mason-Cox will nominate.

As The Sunday Telegraph revealed last week, NSW Liberal Party president Maria Kovacic was also floated as a prospective candidate at a meeting of senior moderates.

Ex-political staffer Gisele Kapterian and former MP Fiona Scott are also in the mix.

Under party rules, candidates are not allowed to speak publicly. Mr Constance declined an invitation to comment.

Nominations will close April 20.

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