Stephen Mayne calls on Liberal Party to hold preselection for Kevin Andrews’ Menzies seat

Crikey founder Stephen Mayne will run against Liberal stalwart Kevin Andrews at the federal election if the party doesn’t hold a preselection for the seat Menzies.

HIGH profile candidate Stephen Mayne has vowed to run against Liberal stalwart Kevin Andrews at the federal election if the party doesn’t hold a preselection for the seat Menzies.

Mr Mayne, who was a former Manningham and Melbourne councillor, contested the seat as an independent at the 2016 election.

He said he’ll do so again if Mr Andrews was endorsed without challenge in the lead-up to the ballot.

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The unease follows an Australian Electoral Commission realignment of electorate boundaries earlier this year, brought about by population growth. Mr Andrews, 62, has held the seat since 1991.

Menzies Federal Liberal MP Kevin Andrew in his office. Picture: Josie Hayden

Menzies Liberal MP Kevin Andrews and Manningham U3A president Geoff Sheldon celebrate the organisation's 25th anniversary.

Crikey.com founder Stephen Mayne speaking at a Geelong Business Network breakfast.

The shift has seen about 21,000 voters in Eltham, Research, North Warrandyte and Kangaroo Ground moved to the electorate of Menzies.

Mr Mayne said the redistribution made Menzies marginal, meaning the Liberals were potentially “abandoning local democracy” if they didn’t hold a preselection.

“There is outrage among many Liberal Party members that democracy is being abandoned and the preselection contest for Menzies has been delayed this long and may ultimately be abandoned altogether,” Mr Mayne said.

Mr Andrews held Menzies at the last election despite a primary vote swing away from the Coalition.

“The people of Menzies don’t want Tony Abbott’s best mate in the Parliament representing them when he spends his time languishing on the backbench undermining the Prime Minister,” Mr Mayne said.

“Kevin Andrews should gracefully retire, allowing more than 500 Liberal Party members in Menzies an opportunity to democratically select a successor.

“The Liberals would be taking a big risk in allowing head office to re-endorse the longest serving member of the House of Representative after 25 years in the seat.”

Mr Andrews and the Liberal Party didn’t respond to questions by Leader’s deadline.

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