NSW Election: Speculation on Brad Hazzard’s political future as Wakehurst preselection heats up
Speculation around veteran MP Brad Hazzard’s political future is mounting as his potential replacements in his safe Liberal seat jockey for position.
Manly
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High profile government MP Brad Hazzard has been urged to reveal if he will run at the next state election — as his potential replacements jockey for pole position in the seat of Wakehurst.
Calls for certainty about the political future of the veteran NSW minister come as senior local Liberal Party figures fear that if a candidate is not confirmed soon, his seat of Wakehurst could fall to an independent “teal”.
The Manly Daily has been told that while preselection nominations in other northern beaches electorates — Pittwater, Manly and Davidson — have closed, the call for Liberals to contest Wakehurst has not even begun.
A group called Wakehurst’s Independent has already launched its search for a candidate to win the safe Liberal seat at the March 2023 election.
They say they have a good chance after seeing the spectacular success of the teal Sophie Scamps, who was victorious in the federal seat of Mackellar at the May federal poll as well as the ongoing support for independent MP Zali Steggall in Warringah.
As the scheduled NSW election nears, speculation has ramped up among Liberal rank and file members that Mr Hazzard, the 71-year-old NSW Health Minister, will retire from politics.
Local Liberal figures suggest the Wakehurst Liberal preselection nominations have not opened yet to give Mr Hazzard more time to make a decision.
It is understood that if Mr Hazzard retires, veteran Liberal councillor David Walton will nominate as his replacement.
Mr Walton, the retired commander of Northern Beaches Police, will not nominate if Mr Hazzard decides to stay in parliament.
The Manly Daily also understands that well-known Liberal branch member Wendy Finianos is likely to put her name forward whether Mr Hazzard retires or not.
Ms Finianos, a former fundraising manager with Lifeline Northern Beaches and a former Warringah Chamber of Commerce president, sought preselection in Wakehurst before the 2018 election.
Local Liberals say that growing disquiet over issues including the government’s decision to put the Beaches Link tunnel on ice and problems with the new, smaller Manly ferries could put the party on the nose.
They say if Liberal candidates, in all the northern beaches seats are not confirmed soon, the party risks having to run truncated election campaigns against teal opponents.
“If Hazzard is not standing, then Liberals on the northern beaches need to know sooner rather than later,” a senior party figure said.
“Preselections now need to be held as soon as possible. We are all aware of what happened in the federal election in Warringah when (Liberal candidate) Katherine Deves was only given six weeks to campaign.
“We need candidates in the field as soon as we can.”
In Davidson, northern beaches-based Roads Minister Natalie Ward, who sits in the NSW Upper House, has nominated to replace retiring MP Jonathan O’Dea.
Rory Amon, a Liberal on Northern Beaches Council, has nominated as a future candidate for Pittwater. He will be up against Upper House MP and Families and Community minister Natasha Maclaren-Jones, who owns property in the electorate.
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