Liberals to open office in Warringah in bid to win back Tony Abbott’s seat

It’s one of the key battlegrounds for the Liberals and they’ve now set up a base in Warringah.

Former Prime Minister and Warringah Liberal candidate Tony Abbott arrives to concede defeat at Manly Leagues Club in Brookvale, Sydney, Saturday, 18 May, 2019. (AAP Image/Bianca De Marchi)

• The new Liberal faces to help win back beaches
• Revealed: Ratepayers’ final bill for scrapped carpark plan

The Liberal Party is opening a new office in Warringah as part of a battle plan to win back the seat they lost to independent Zali Steggall.

The ramping up of the Liberals’ efforts follows Ms Steggall’s decisive win over former prime minister Tony Abbott at the last election.

Former prime minister Tony Abbott and then challenger, now Warringah MP Zali Steggall, in the run up to the election last year Picture: David Swift.

In a newsletter from Senator Andrew Bragg and Prime Minister Scott Morrison, delivered to homes across Warringah this week, he said he was opening an office in Sydney Rd, Balgowlah.

The new base is in Ms Steggall’s backyard.

Ms Steggall moved into Tony Abbott’s old office in Sydney Rd, Manly, after winning the seat last year.

Grant Wiles (left) and his brother Matt, from Absolute Sign Solutions at Brookvale, work to replace the Tony Abbott signs outside the Warringah electorate office in Sydney Rd, Manly, with the distinctive signs of Zali Steggall MP.

“I am offering you another voice to represent Warringah in Canberra – to make sure your views and priorities are heard,” his message said.

“It is also my mission to ensure that the Liberal Party serves Warringah.

“We are opening a local office in the electorate at 343 Sydney Rd, Balgowlah.

“I will be on the ground and listening to what matters to you.”

In the message he urged people to contact him or “drop into our local office”.

However, when the Manly Daily called Mr Bragg for more details he said the office was not yet open.

He did not have a date for the opening.

Andrew Bragg at North Head in February 2020. Bragg has been appointed the Liberal representative in Warringah until the election and was touring the Harbour Trust sites. (AAP Image / Julian Andrews).

When asked whether he would be based in the office, Mr Bragg said he was split between Canberra, the city, and travelling around the state in his role as a senator.

However, he reiterated that he was here to “establish a listening post in Warringah”.

The push to boost the Liberals at federal level in Warringah comes as a Liberal source told the Manly Daily last week that they expected preselection nominations to open soon, possibly before Christmas.

Sasha Grebe, a former Liberal adviser to Scott Morrison is rumoured to have his eye on the Warringah seat.

He previously said that any Warringah candidate would have to convince the public they were genuinely passionate about the environment.

Sasha Grebe, who is rumoured to be seeking preselection for the Liberals at Warringah, taken in Manly on 4th February 2020. (AAP Image/ Julian Andrews).

“It’s clear that communities like Warringah are looking for action from their elected leader on these issues and I’ve long been an advocate and early adopter of renewable solutions,” Mr Grebe said in a Manly Daily interview last year.

It is understood there will be a big Liberal seminar on the peninsula next year, as part of a “call to arms” to turn Warringah blue again.

Local Liberals are also building up for a fight to win control of Northern Beaches Council.

“That’s where the big battle plan will be put into place,” said one party member.

“The Liberal Party needs to take back control of the northern beaches,” the source said. “It will be all hands on deck.”