Matt Kean considers challenge to Paul Fletcher in wake of electoral redistribution

Matt Kean could be Canberra-bound, with the former NSW treasurer weighing up challenging sitting federal MP and fellow Liberal Paul Fletcher.

Former NSW treasurer Matt Kean is weighing up challenging sitting federal MP and fellow Liberal Paul Fletcher after the AEC released draft NSW electoral boundaries yesterday that abolished the seat of North Sydney, currently held by Teal Kylea Tink.

Liberal Party figures said they were broadly happy with the proposed NSW redistribution, which will see them drop one seat in the House of Representatives, while Labor insiders were disappointed with the outcome, as it moves the Labor seat of Bennelong from ALP to the Coalition pile.

But the Libs conceded the changes will now make the former blue-ribbon seat of Wentworth unwinnable, with the incumbent Teal Allegra Spender likely to start the next election with a margin of around 9 per cent.

Overall, the Labor Party is happy with the job the AEC has done on the redistributions in NSW, WA and Victoria, believing it will start the next election with 78 seats in the 150-seat lower house, compared with 78 in the current parliament of 151.

The abolition of North Sydney means that a substantial chunk of Ms Tink’s voters will now move into Mr Fletcher’s upper north shore electorate of Bradfield.

Former NSW treasurer and energy minister Matt Kean may be eyeing a move to Canberra. Picture: Jeremy Piper

The former communications minister in the Morrison government, who has held the seat since 2009, had been expected to face a rematch with Teal Nicolette Boele, who he saw off in 2022.

Ms Boele has since dubbed herself the shadow member for Bradfield.

But the proposed boundary changes make it more likely Mr Fletcher will face Ms Tink instead.

Bradfield MP Paul Fletcher. Picture: Martin Ollman

Supporters said Mr Kean was weighing up challenging Mr Fletcher, a move which will require the state executive to re-open the preselection.

But Liberal Party sources said Mr Kean was likely to have the numbers to force it to be reopen if he chooses to run.

A NSW federal MP who is not in Mr Kean’s moderate group in the Liberal Party would be pushing him to run if Ms Tink stands: “If Tink is going to run in Bradfield there will be an argument among the moderates about who is best to hold that seat and a lot of them are going to say it is Matt Kean.”

A senior Liberal official said the changes could have been “a lot worse”.

“Overall a Teal seat disappears and Bennelong moves from a notional Labor to a lineball slightly in our favour seat,” he said.

“A few incumbents have had their margins trimmed but they should all get re-elected.

“On the other hand, along with Bennelong, we’re in much better shape in Robertson, Gilmore and Paterson.”

A senior Labor official conceded the party was “on the whole disappointed” with the proposed boundaries.

Other notable changes proposed include new boundaries for Liberal seat of Hughes held by Jenny Ware, who has had her margin halved from 7 per cent; while the Labor margins in Barton, held by Indigenous Affairs Minister Linda Burney, and Greenway, held by Communications Minister Michelle Rowland, have also been cut.

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