Federal election 2016: Wentworth Labor candidate Evan Hughes says he’ll end the Turnbull ‘protest vote’

LABOR’s candidate for Malcolm Turnbull’s eastern suburbs seat faces an uphill battle — but as a former Cranbrook boy Evan Hughes has a blue-ribbon pedigree of his own.

HE just might have the hardest job in Australian politics.

But the Labor candidate trying to steal Wentworth from Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Evan Hughes, promises he’s more than a “feel good” story.

The Cranbrook School and Cambridge University-educated father of two from Paddington is a strong supporter of gay marriage, was dead against plans to build a new stadium on open space in Moore Park, and stands proudly by his party’s plan to wind back negative gearing.

The Cranbrook and Cambridge-educated candidate said the Labor Party’s not about your wallet or your pedigree. Picture: John Appleyard

But he works for a CBD company raising capital for “boutique” fund managers and headed up a recent Business with Labor forum.

“I’m not just a pat-on-the-back, feel-good, basket weaver,” said Mr Hughes (above), son of famous art critic Ray Hughes.

Mr Turnbull, who pulled the trigger on a July 2 double dissolution election yesterday after the Senate blocked his Australian Building and Construction Bill, took 63 per cent of primary votes in 2013. He flogged Labor’s Di Smith who, as the closest challenger, received 19 per cent.

But Mr Hughes insisted he was not bothered by margins, given Mr Turnbull had ceded some of the progressive charm that traditionally lured young Wentworth voters.

Mr Hughes with wife Kate Hughes, and sons Teddy, 3 months and Harry, 2 years. Picture: John Appleyard

“What you’ve got to remember is Mr Turnbull has been able to be a lot of people’s protest vote … when Abbott was in, they could assuage their guilt because they had a progressive (candidate) there in Turnbull,” Mr Hughes said.

“I did foresee Turnbull being bound by his party somewhat.

“This time they have to realise and decide, ‘are we genuinely conservative Liberal voters’.

“Wentworth has always been written of as this established blue ribbon Liberal seat and I really don’t’ think that’s the case.”

Mr Hughes admitted as a high school student he found Mr Turnbull an “inspirational” republican.