McPherson preselection: LNP branch backs Leon Rebello to replace Karen Andrews as party candidate in safe seat

LNP members on the Gold Coast have named the man who will replace outgoing MP Karen Andrews in the safe seat of McPherson. ALL THE DETAILS

LNP members on the Gold Coast have named the man who will replace outgoing MP Karen Andrews in the safe seat of McPherson

Leon Rebello was named as the winning candidate just before 6pm following a branch meeting at Robina Community Centre.

Mr Rebello is a lawyer and was long regarded the frontrunner.

Lawyer Ben Naday, who previously worked as a staffer for Ms Andrews, and former John Howard adviser David Stevens both nominated.

Mr Stevens was eliminated on the first round just after 5.30pm.

The event was attended by Opposition Leader Peter Dutton.

Lawyer Leon Rebello, with his old boss Julie Bishop. Picture: Instagram

The preselection began at 2.30pm with each candidate given time to make their pitch to party members.

The final speeches were given around 5pm before party members voted

Ms Andrews announced in April 2023 she would retire from federal parlaiment at the 2025 election.

The decision, which came as a shock to colleagues, also saw the former Home Affairs Minister quit the shadow cabinet and move to the backbench.

Despite her hopes, no women nominated for the seat.

Ms Andrews was first elected in 2010 after a notoriously acrimonious preselection for the seat in 2009 which pitted her against Mr Dutton.

Ben Naday.

In 2009, long-time incumbent Liberal Party MP Margaret May decided to retire after 11 years in power.

Enter Mr Dutton, who had represented the marginal ­Brisbane seat of Dickson since 2001.

The margins of Dickson were redrawn ahead of the 2010 election in a way which made it “unwinnable”.

Labor was in government at the time under the popular Kevin Rudd, whose poll ­numbers were at stratospheric proportions.

Fearing the loss of his seat, Mr Dutton announced he would attempt to parachute into McPherson to ensure he would remain in parliament.

However, the announcement sparked a furious reaction from Gold Coast conservatives, who were outraged a Brisbane MP would attempt to take over a local seat.

Karen Andrews will retire at next year’s election (Photo by LEIGH VOGEL / POOL / AFP)

Mr Dutton was endorsed by both John Howard and Malcolm Turnbull, while Gold Coast LNP members, including then-Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey, manoeuvred to deny him the seat.

Ms Stuckey hatched a plan with Ms Andrews and fellow candidate Minna Knight to ensure that the ­voting bloc behind the first candidate to be eliminated would swing to the last remaining woman.

Ms Andrews defeated Mr Dutton, who initially planned to retire before returning to Dickson, which he won in 2010 after Labor dropped Mr Rudd as PM in favour of Julia Gillard.

She was a Cabinet Minister during the Abbott-Turnbull-Morrison era, rising to the post of Home Affairs Minister, which she held until the Coalition’s loss in 2022.