Everything you need to know about the Wentworth by-election to replace Malcolm Turnbull
A CRUCIAL by-election in Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth could make the new PM's job a lot harder.
SIXTEEN candidates are standing in Saturday's crucial by-election in Malcolm Turnbull’s former seat of Wentworth in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.
It's a crowded field to replace Mr Turnbull and the stakes are high. If the Liberal Party loses the seat the Morrison Government will lose its one-seat majority and it will have to rely on crossbenchers to get its legislation passed until the next federal election, which must be held by May.
The Liberals have held the seat of Wentworth since the party's inception in 1944 but recent polls indicate independent candidate Kerryn Phelps could get across the line. Recent polling conducted for the Liberals show Dr Phelps is ahead of the Liberal candidate Dave Sharma 55-45 on the two-party preferred vote, according to The Australian.
WHEN WILL BY-ELECTION BE HELD?
The poll will be held this Saturday, October 20 and voting booths will be open from 8am to 6pm. Everyone who lives in the electorate must vote.
WHY IS IT HAPPENING?
Malcolm Turnbull, who represented the harbourside seat in Sydney’s eastern suburbs for 14 years, resigned from parliament on Friday, August 31 after losing the leadership of the Liberal party.
CANDIDATES
They are listed in the order they will appear on the ballot paper. The Daily Telegraph has comprehensive interviews with each of the candidates for those interested in more information.
1. Robert Callanan, Katter's Australian Party
The accountant is still running under the Katter party name but he was disendorsed after it was revealed he had links to a high class Sydney brothel. Mr Callanan doesn't want any changes to tax or negative gearing but wants business to get cheaper, easier access to finance. He believes Australia should reduce immigration but get asylum seekers out of detention, and supports an 'integrative approach' to help business reduce carbon emissions and embrace greener energy sources.
2. Wy Kanak, The Greens
The Waverley councillor and deputy mayor is also a member of the management committee for the NSW Reconciliation Council and is a paralegal and law student. He is proud Torres Strait and South Sea Islander and supports a net zero (or negative) target for carbon emissions in Australia by 2040. He wants an end to fossil fuel subsidies. Mr Kanak also supports a treaty with First Nations people and for law and order to focus on diversion and rehabilitation, particularly for Aboriginal people and young offenders.
3. Shayne Higson, Voluntary Euthanasia Party
A former photographic artist, lecturer and community liaison officer for two public high schools, Ms Higson was born and raised in Wentworth. She became a full-time advocate for assisted dying reform after her mother died from brain cancer in 2012. She said she is endorsed by prominent neurosurgeon and Wentworth resident, Dr Charlie Teo. Ms Higson wants greater funding and access to palliative care but also a legal voluntary assisted dying framework. She's open to negative gearing changes and wants political donation reform as well as different approaches to law and order.
4. Steven Georgantis, Australian People's Party
A former senior technical officer and manager at the Australian Taxation Office, where he worked for 31 years, Mr Georgantis is a member of the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW. He believes there should be changes to negative gearing, wants the tax system to be simplified, loopholes closed and to reduce high marginal tax rates. He doesn't believe government should fund the arts and that immigration levels should be reduced to more sustainable for five years.
5. Tim Murray, Labor Party
Financial analyst and Tamarama Surf Life Saving Club president Tim Murray has got the public backing of the former prime minister's son Alex Turnbull. Mr Murray is committed to reducing carbon emissions by 45 per cent by 2030 and sourcing 50 per cent of Australia's energy from renewable sources by 2030. He also supports changes to negative gearing, public education and corporate political donations. He believes live animal exports should be phased out immediately.
RELATED: Surprise face to replace Turnbull
6. Ben Forsyth, Derryn Hinch's Justice Party
A real estate business owner, Mr Forsyth was a vocal advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse during the Royal Commission. He doesn't support changes to negative gearing or the proposed development in the national park at South Head. He believes there should be consultation on rural placements for immigration and changes to how we process asylum seekers to make it more humane. Mr Forsyth believes a national day of reconciliation is required.
7. Dr Tony Robinson, Australian Liberty Alliance
A specialist in orthopaedic surgery, Dr Robinson is the co-founder of the Australian Liberty Alliance. He doesn't believe in climate change, believes Australia should stop all immigration except for South African farmers and that all asylum seekers should be processed in three months.
8. Samuel Joseph Gunning, Liberal Democrats
In 2017, the 24-year-old became the youngest person to be elected to North Sydney Council. He majored in political science at Sydney University. He will promote the same initiatives that senator David Leyonhjelm supports including making taxes as low as possible. The party also believes governments should gradually stop funding education and instead provide vouchers that parents can use at public or private schools. It supports the immediate recognition of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
9. Dave Sharma, Liberal
Former Australian ambassador to Israel, Dave Sharma, was pre-selected to be the Liberal candidate with the backing of Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull. He doesn't support the removal of franking dividends, changes to negative gearing or the proposed development at South Head. He thinks immigrants should be better distributed to areas where they are most needed. He supports keeping Australia's international commitments on climate change and rigorous monitoring of the live animal export trade.
In recent days Mr Sharma has been at the centre of controversy around the potential relocation of Australia's embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, in a policy shift that some have criticised as being a desperate move to win the by-election.
About 12 per cent of the electorate's population is Jewish and Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Mr Sharma suggested the embassy move. It comes after the United States said it would recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital, angering the Muslim world. However, Mr Sharma later emphasised there was no plan yet, just a review and rejected suggestions the announcement was aimed at benefiting his election.
Mr Sharma reportedly had the backing of former prime minister John Howard for his preselection bid, as well as business leader David Gonski, who is understood to have written him a personal reference.
10. Angela Vithoulkas, Independent
The business owner and City of Sydney councillor says voters need “stability, continuity and fearlessness”. She wants reduces taxes for payroll and land, enhanced asset depreciation and supports for start-ups. She also supports rebates on natural medicines to be removed and for a possible GST on health related goods and services. Ms Vithoulkas wants refugees to be resettled and a more humanitarian approach. She believes fossil fuels should be phased out and wants greater prosecution of those who do the wrong thing in the live animal export trade.
Ms Vithoulkas is among dozens of business owners and landlords planning to file a lawsuit against the NSW Government over the Sydney light rail project. She claims the project forced her to close her CBD cafe after 16 years of trade.
11. Deb Doyle, Animal Justice Party
The mother-of-three is a self-employed book editor who teaches editing and grammar. The Powerhouse Museum has acquired The Deb Doyle Music Archive, a collection representing her lifetime of music and writing. The party wants to establish a 'sovereign wealth' fund for research and to help farmers transition from animal agriculture to plant-based agriculture.
12. Dr Andrea Leong, Science Party
The daughter of Scottish and Malaysian immigrants, she has worked in microbiome research since 2016. She also plays percussion with community bands and orchestras. She wants action on climate change and the closure of offshore detention centres for asylum seekers. Dr Leong supports the phasing out of stamp duty, payroll tax and council rates, and believes they should be replaced with a broad-based land tax.
13. Licia Heath, Independent
The financial services worker is being backed by Sydney Lord Mayor Clover Moore and independent state MP Alex Greenwich. She has lobbied for a new public high school and supports increasing the number of women in public office. Ms Heath believes negative gearing should be limited to one property only, onshore processing of asylum seekers should be reinstated and that Australia should remain committed to the Paris agreement.
14. Barry Keldoulis, The Arts Party
A local resident and chief executive officer of Sydney Contemporary, Mr Keldoulis is a respected arts figure with experience running small business and major events. He supports a new public school for the area, funding of the arts and action on climate change. He doesn't support live animal exports and believes some laws need reform, for example, so that drug offences are treated as a health and social issue, not a criminal one.
15. Dr Kerryn Phelps AM, Independent
Analysts believe the City of Sydney councillor could win the seat in what could be a huge upset for the Liberal party. The doctor and businesswoman was a strong campaigner for same-sex marriage and also developed a high profile after being the first woman to be elected as president of the Australian Medical Association. She doesn't support changes to negative gearing but believes the company tax rate should be lowered as long as all organisations pay their fair share. Dr Phelps believes foreign donations and those from fossil fuel companies should be banned.
This week it emerged an email had been distributed falsely claiming she had HIV and was withdrawing from the contest. Dr Phelps has slammed it as one of the "dirty tricks" being used in a smear campaign against her. Rival Liberal candidate Dave Sharma called the email "despicable" and said it also stigmatised people living with HIV.
Dr Phelps has criticised the potential embassy move in Israel saying she thought it was a "politically motivated decision" that had occurred "without a comprehensive analysis of the defence, trade and security implications" for Australia and the two-state solution. But she has not ruled out supporting it.
RELATED: Kerry Phelps to run in Wentworth
16. Kay Dunne, Sustainable Australia
A former professional actor, Ms Dunne has worked in the NSW public service in human resources as well as in corporate policy and strategy. She's also worked as a scientific officer and a high school teacher. Ms Dunne supports climate change action and protecting the environment. She also wants better planning to stop over-development, to preserve heritage and achieve affordable housing for first home buyers and renters.
THOSE WHO DIDN’T RUN
Ahead of the Liberal preselection race, former prime minister Tony Abbott’s sister Christine Forster pulled out.
“I indicated my intention to run for preselection as the Liberal candidate for Wentworth last week because I want to do the very best I can to represent and advocate for the people of my local community,” Ms Foster wrote on her Facebook page.
“The commentary about my candidacy since then, however, has focused on the suggestion that it was a proxy for division within the Liberal party.
“That is not the case, but to avoid any such perception, I will be standing aside and giving my full support to the successful candidate. I remain committed to doing everything I can to ensure we defeat Labor in the coming battles.”
Local businessman Andrew Bragg also withdrew his nomination, saying allegations of bullying by outgoing MP Julia Banks and comments by former foreign affairs minister Julie Bishop about the lack of women within the party were behind his decision.
“I believe these recent events and comments have changed the mood and accordingly I will withdraw my nomination,” Mr Bragg said in a Facebook post.
Mr Bragg — who’d received the blessing of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull to try and take over his seat in Sydney’s eastern suburbs — said he was “genuinely shocked” by Ms Banks’ allegations.
“Julia Banks’ exit from public life is a loss for all of us,” he said on Monday. “Julia is exactly the type of professional woman the Liberal Party must be able to attract and keep in parliament.”
However, it’s since emerged he may have quit in exchange for a safe spot on the Liberal Party’s NSW Senate ticket.
- With AAP
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