Wakehurst and Pittwater Liberal state preselection contest twists as leading candidate pulls out
Contests to decide who will represent the Liberals on the northern beaches at the next NSW election have been thrown wide open after a senior party figure decides not to put their name forward.
Manly
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A high profile NSW Government figure has pulled out of the contest to represent the Liberal Party in a key northern beaches seat at the next state election.
Natasha Maclaren-Jones, the Families and Communities Minister, had put her name forward as a potential candidate for Pittwater but confirmed on Wednesday she would not be running.
Ms Maclaren-Jones, who also has the Disability Services portfolio and sits in the NSW Upper House, has also ruled out seeking preselection for the safe northern beaches seat of Wakehurst, which will be vacated by outgoing Health Minister Brad Hazzard.
The contest for Liberal preselection in the seat of Pittwater also comes after Infrastructure Minister Rob Stokes announced his retirement from politics three weeks ago.
Meanwhile the race for Liberal Party preselection was confirmed for the seat of Wakehurst after veteran MP Brad Hazzard revealed on Monday that he would not run again at the March 2023 poll.
Ms Maclaren-Jones’ decision to stay in the Upper House has thrown the doors wide open for potential Liberal candidates in the two seats — both set to be targeted by “teal” independent campaigns.
Liberal Northern beaches councillor Rory Amon, who has nominated to run in Pittwater, has strong local support.
There was speculation that lawyer Claire Longley – the daughter of former popular Pittwater MP Jim Longley – would put her name forward.
But it is understood that Cr Amon is the party favourite at this stage.
A senior Liberal source said Ms Maclaren-Jones would have struggled to get the numbers because she does not live in the electorate.
“There is very strong and Liberal Party membership support for Rory in Pittwater,” the source said. “What were the factional warlords thinking trying to parachute Natasha into the seat?”
In a statement to the Manly Daily, Ms Maclaren-Jones confirmed she would not be seeking Liberal preselection in Pittwater and had no intention as nominating for Wakehurst.
In Wakehurst, another Northern Beaches councillor, David Walton, a former high-ranking northern beaches police officer, confirmed he was interested in seeking Liberal preselection to replace Brad Hazzard when nominations were opened.
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.
“I’m very interested, when nominations are opened,” Cr Walton said.
“Then we’ll go through the preselection, which is a robust process where members of the Liberal Party on the northern beaches and Wakehurst will choose a good candidate to fight for their community.”
Another Liberal councillor, management consultant Georgia Ryburn, who is based in the Manly Ward, has also been touted as a possible Wakehurst candidate.
Toby Williams, Mr Hazzard’s senior electorate officer, who is active on community group including as President of the Manly Warringah Football Referees Association and on the boards of local registered clubs, has indicated he would nominate.
The Manly Daily also understands that well-known Liberal branch member Wendy Finianos is likely to put her name forward.
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, 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.
A group called Wakehurst’s Independent has already launched its search for a candidate 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.
Spokeswoman Sarah Baker said “the time is right for a new Wakehurst MP to take the electorate forward”.
“The Liberal Party will no doubt try to persuade our electorate that their new candidate is a ‘fresh start’,” Ms Baker said.
“However, with each moderate resignation, they’re swinging further to the right and riding roughshod over the sensible centre community views.
“This will not be a fresh start for the community of Wakehurst, it’s more of the same.”
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