Federal election 2022: Decision date for next Liberal candidate for Warringah
A Liberal source has revealed when a decision will be made on the next Liberal candidate to take on independent Zali Steggall in Warringah.
Manly
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A plebiscite on who will be the next Liberal candidate for the federal seat of Warringah will most likely be held at the end of January, early February, according to sources.
For the first time all Liberal party members in Warringah of two years’ standing will be allowed to vote on who they think the best candidate is to take on independent Zali Steggall, who at the 2019 election knocked former prime minister Tony Abbott from the seat after 25 years.
The number of people allowed to cast their vote could be as many as 1000.
However, the list of contenders will probably not include former premier Gladys Berejiklian, whose name came up again as a possible federal Liberal candidate at the weekend.
The party has previously tried to encourage another Liberal ‘star’ former premier Mike Baird to run, to no avail.
Sources say the choice will most likely be a two horse race between relative unknowns.
It is understood barrister Jane Buncle and former Young Liberal President Alex Dore are the top two choices.
Sasha Grebe, a former policy advisor to Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who had previously signalled he was interested in going for preselection, has pulled out of the race, along with Tim James, who works at the Menzies Research Centre, a Liberal think tank.
Other names that have been bandied around over the past couple of years include former real estate agent Carolyn Reid and Natalie Ward, NSW Minister for Sport, Multiculturalism, Seniors and Veterans, who has indicated she won’t be running after her recent promotion.
With just four days to go before the nominations for preselection close, sources say it’s looking unlikely that Ms Berejiklian will join the list.
One said if Ms Berejiklian decided to go for it at the last minute, everyone else would pull out of the race.
“I think Gladys will enjoy her time post politics and Warringah is not part of her plan,” said one.
“But it has been interesting to see the protesting and fear on social media from Zali when the name ‘Gladys’ is mentioned. It has been noted.”
The source added that they think a “woman is best placed to run against Zali”.
Others have previously argued that Ms Buncle is a “Zali-lite” candidate and that a male would at least offer the voters a point of difference.
Another said while the “field has narrowed” to probably two candidates “there’s always a surprise nomination that no-one is expecting”.
One Warringah party member conceded that Ms Steggall has a national profile on TV and in Vogue magazine which an unknown will have trouble matching in just three months before an election, but said her biggest weakness was her standing at a local level.
“She likes to talk about macro issues, that is where she likes to run,” said one party member. “But I think this election will be about what she’s been doing at a local level.
“I think that’s her greatest weakness.”
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