Federal election 2025: Michael Gencher targeted by rumour mill ahead of Liberal preselection ballot for Mackellar
A potential Liberal candidate for a key Sydney seat, currently held by a “teal” MP, is at the centre of a destabilisation campaign suggesting he is ineligible to become an MP because he was born overseas.
Manly
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A Liberal Party member on the northern beaches is being targeted by rumours questioning his right to run in next year’s federal election because he was born overseas.
Liberal insiders say the destabilisation strategy is aimed at Michael Gencher, who is seeking preselection to take on sitting “teal” MP Sophie Scamps in Mackellar.
Mr Gencher, who was born in Canada, is one of seven party members who will take part in a preselection run-off at Pittwater RSL in Mona Vale on Sunday.
The former Northern Beaches Council member is one of the favourites to win the chance to represent the Liberals in their bid to win back the former blue-ribbon conservative seat at the 2025 election.
A party insider said Mr Gencher’s internal opponents were spreading rumours, ahead of the preselection ballot, that he was ineligible to be an election candidate under section 44 of the Constitution.
The section states that a person can be disqualified from being chosen as an MP if they have an allegiance to, or citizenship of, a foreign power.
Mr Gencher was born in Canada, emigrated to Sydney in 1991 and became an Australian citizen soon after.
But party insiders say Mr Gencher has formally started the process to renounce his Canadian citizenship, clearing the way for him to run.
“He is the target of rumours meant to spread misinformation, but the party says he’s OK to be in the preselection vote,” an insider said.
The insider said rumours had also been spread that suggesting Mr Gencher was leading a threatened class action against the NSW Liberals, on behalf of former local government candidates who missed out on running in the September council elections because of the party’s administration stuff-up.
But Mr Gencher, who was sidelined from that election after the party failed to lodge nomination forms on time, has said previously that no one had contacted him about it.
Mr Gencher, who owns a public relations agency, is making a tilt at federal politics after losing the Liberal preselection ballot to contact the recent Pittwater state by-election.
To run in Mackellar, he will have to fight off a strong challenge from former James Brown, a former army officer who served in Afghanistan, Iraq and the Solomon Islands.
Mr Brown, a former son-in-law of ex-Liberal prime minister Malcolm Turnbull, was the Liberals’ campaign director for the Pittwater by-election and was previously the president and executive chairman of RSL NSW.
Others who have nominated include Brook Adcock, a former military and Qantas pilot who, with ex-wife Karin, co-founded the Pandora jewellery empire in Australia.
Defence analyst Lincoln Parker, who was in the running to become the Liberal candidate to take on Zali Steggall in Warringah at the 2022 federal election, has also nominated.
The remaining preselection candidates are disability advocate David Brady, secondary school teacher Vicky McGahey, and communications consultant Paul Nettelbeck.
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