New Labor candidates named to challenge Liberal-held Victorian seats at next federal election

Labor’s federal election campaign machine is ramping up, with a new group of candidates preselected for Liberal-held seats in Victoria.

Labor’s federal election campaign machine is ramping up, with a new group of candidates preselected for Liberal-held seats in Victoria.

The party’s national executive on Monday voted to endorse candidates for Chisholm, Higgins, Casey and Deakin in the first test of a new peace deal between competing Labor factions.

Among those selected is Carina Garland, who was preselected for Chisholm just months after leaving her role as assistant secretary at the Victorian Trades Hall Council.

Ms Garland, who has a PHD in gender studies, will face off against Gladys Liu.

Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg with the Member for Chisholm Gladys Liu. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Sarah Matray

But the rejection of former Monash mayor Rebecca Paterson during the process differs from Anthony Albanese’s tactic to recruit local mayors to help win votes at a grassroots level.

Insiders believe this highlights early signs the party does not feel confident to win the seat.

The electorate of Higgins will be a showdown of female doctors, after Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah was selected unopposed to take on Dr Katie Allen.

Dr Ananda-Rajah is a consultant physician in general medicine and infectious diseases at Alfred Health.

Bill Brindle will again run in the seat of Casey, after sitting member and speaker of the House of Representatives Tony Smith last week announced his retirement.

Teacher Matthew Gregg was selected as Labor’s candidate for the seat of Deakin.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has had a tactic to recruit local mayors to help win votes at a grassroots level. Picture: NCA NewsWire/Bianca De Marchi

Each candidate was endorsed on Monday after the party’s powerful factions spent the weekend considering choices for seats they had control over.

It is the first time the process has gone ahead since a the signing of a new peace deal and a split over the newly-created seat of Hawke, which former state secretary Sam Rae has been nominated for and is expected to be safe for Labor.

The national executive’s power has been challenged in court while others within the party campaigned for a woman to be chosen to boost equal representation.

Senior figures are still awaiting the result of a Supreme Court battle case over whether the national executive can control Victorian Labor and preselections in the state.

Labor-aligned unions earlier this year challenged the legality of an ongoing federal intervention, triggered by branch stacking claims, and demanded they have voting rights returned along with grassroots members

After 10 days of public hearings, the party was given the greenlight to start preselections but this could be overturned of Justice Tim Ginnane rules in favour of the unions later in the year.

[e-mail]