Outgoing Liberal MP Catherine Cusack to back Greens candidate

A long-serving Liberal MP has made a shock announcement about the federal election, creating a fresh headache for Scott Morrison.

Outgoing Liberal MP Catherine Cusack says she is “ignoring party politics” to throw her support behind a Greens candidate.

Ms Cusack announced on Monday afternoon she would back comedian and author Mandy Nolan in her bid to claim the electorate of Richmond from Labor at the federal election on May 21.

“She has integrity, intelligence & empathy and will be a problem woman in Canberra fighting for our community,” Ms Cusack wrote of Ms Nolan on Twitter.

“We face hung Parliament and so need Mandy there at the table putting Richmond community first.”

Richmond takes in much of the Northern Rivers region of NSW including Tweed Heads and Ballina, the alternative meccas of Mullumbimby and Byron Bay and coastal areas including Ms Cusack’s hometown of Lennox Head.

Held by Justine Elliot on a margin of 4.1 per cent, the seat was badly affected by the floods crisis which swept through southeast Queensland and northern NSW earlier this year.

Greens leader Adam Bandt (R) has described Mandy Nolan (L) as a ‘champion’. Picture: Martin Ollman/Getty Images

Ms Nolan responded on social media to thank Ms Cusack for her endorsement on Monday, later telling NCA NewsWire she wasn’t surprised by it.

“This electorate has been abandoned by major parties and as you’ve seen through the floods, Richmond really deserves a seat at the table. That’s why I’m here,” she said.

“We don’t want another 17 years of a backbencher in this seat. The only way this seat will get attention is with me on the cross bench. And I think Catherine, with her long history in politics, knows that.”

I am ignoring Party politics and supporting @MandyNolan2482 for Richmond. She has integrity, intelligence & empathy and will be a problem woman in Canberra fighting for our community. We face hung Parliament and so need Mandy there at the table putting Richmond community first. pic.twitter.com/I61ww0Rv4x

— Catherine Cusack (@katieqs) April 18, 2022

Ms Cusack in March spectacularly announced she would resign from NSW state parliament because of her anger towards Scott Morrison’s response to the flooding crisis and the allocation of disaster relief payments to different areas.

She later said she couldn’t vote for the re-election of a Morrison government despite being a longtime Liberal member and MP in the NSW Legislative Council.

Flood affected communities in the towns of Ballina, Byron and Tweed – all located in the Richmond electorate – were initially excluded from $2000 of payments offered to towns in the neighbouring Nationals-held seat of Page.

The Morrison government later expanded the payments scheme, saying it had been waiting on an official assessment of the excluded towns to sign off on the financial relief.

Catherine Cusack, pictured in 2019, said she couldn’t vote for the re-election of a government led by Scott Morrison. Picture: Richard Dobson

There is a possibility neither the Coalition nor Labor will secure the 76 seats needed for a majority in the House of Representative at this election, which would lead to a hung parliament.

One side of politics would then have to negotiate with cross bench MPs in order to form government.

“The cross bench MPs will be able to change things. Those on Major Party backbench will be irrelevant – this is our opportunity to put our community on the radar big time with Mandy,” Ms Cusack tweeted on Monday.

Once a Nationals-leaning rural seat, Richmond has returned Justine Elliot since 2004. But the Greens have steadily eaten into the Labor vote in recent years, boosted by supporters in the Byron shire.

Ms Nolan describes herself on her official Greens website as “a performer, comedian, MC, writer, author, artist, teacher, ambassador and activist” and says she can win the seat with “just a 5 per cent increase”.

She said on Monday she was optimistic about her chances and that she would help Labor form a minority government in the event of a hung parliament.

“This weekend we put up more than 1000 corflutes, all at supporters’ houses. On the ground you can see our support is huge,” she told NCA NewsWire.

“I do believe I’ve got a really good chance at this election. I’m here absolutely for all the right reasons. I’m here to represent the community.”