Peta Credlin denies she has been sounded out by ‘disgruntled millionaires’ to challenge Kelly O’Dwyer in Higgins

PETA Credlin, the former chief of staff to Tony Abbott, denies she has been approached to challenge a federal cabinet minister.

Liberals have long wanted Peta Credlin to enter parliament.

PETA Credlin, the former chief of staff to Tony Abbott, says reports she had been approached to challenge a federal cabinet minister for a blue-ribbon Melbourne Liberal seat were “ridiculous”.

A group of millionaire Victorian Liberal Party members were said to have wanted Ms Credlin to oust Revenue Minister Kelly O’Dwyer from the seat of Higgins, the Herald Sun reported.

However, it has emerged that Ms Credlin is nonetheless raising her profile in the seat and will be hosting a dinner in Toorak — in the heart of the electorate — early next month.

Tickets for the dinner cost $140 per person or $120 for Young Liberals.

Ms Credlin, now a political commentator and presenter on Sky News, says her name often gets mentioned because the Liberal Party “sadly doesn’t have enough senior women around in order to put them forward”.

“If people think they are helping the government by having these sort of stories out there regardless whether it is Kelly O’Dwyer or anyone else, I don’t think challenging a sitting member is a good look,” she told Sky News on Sunday.

She says it certainly isn’t something that is rewarded in the Liberal party and wasn’t her style either.

But she said Ms O’Dwyer, who has just had her second baby, was clearly having difficulties in the Victorian Liberal division.

Ms Credlin believes the minister has suffered because of the superannuation reforms that were put forward under her portfolio in such a hurried fashion last year.

“Very few of the front bench could argue for them or even explain them,” she said.

Kelly O’Dwyer holds the blue ribbon Melbourne Liberal seat, which local Liberals want Peta Credlin to challenge her for. Picture: Kym Smith

Despite the denials, Ms Credlin isn’t steering clear of Higgins. Far from it. On 5 May, an event organised by the Canterbury Evening Discussion Group and labelled as “A dinner with Peta Credlin” will be held at the Royal South Yarra Lawn Tennis Club in Toorak.

Tickets cost from $100 to $140 each. Higgins takes in Toorak which is Melbourne’s wealthiest postcode.

Deirdre Chambers! What a coincidence! pic.twitter.com/mcoDnUqU8M

— Rob Harris (@rharris334) April 23, 2017

The Herald Sun report claims the motivation behind the approach to Ms Credlin by the powerful group of millionaire Liberals is to unseat Ms O’Dwyer as retribution for her role in an unpopular tax on their superannuation savings.

The Financial Services Minister has played a key role in the changes, which come into effect on July 1 and include a tax increase from 15 per cent to 30 per cent on contributions for workers earning more than $250,000.

Ms Credlin’s post-politics life has included commentating on Sky News, where she has regularly attacked Malcolm Turnbull. Picture: John Feder

The seat has been a jewel in the Liberal crown for 67 years, having been held by two prime ministers — Harold Holt and John Gorton — and Australia’s longest- serving treasurer Peter Costello.

Ms O’Dwyer fought off a strong challenge from the Greens at last year’s federal election.

Ms Credlin, a powerful and controversial behind-the-scenes figure in Tony Abbott’s government, was accused of holding back Ms O’Dwyer’s career during her time as the former prime minister’s chief of staff.

Peta Credlin was a powerful figure in Tony Abbot’s government.

But after supporting Malcolm Turnbull in the 2015 leadership spill, Ms O’Dwyer’s stocks rose, and after “knocking on the cabinet door” under Mr Abbott, she was finally promoted.

Ms Credlin has previously said she has been offered preselection for various seats in parliament.

But she has shied away from entering politics in favour of backroom roles so she wouldn’t have to kowtow to “nameless nobody” party branch officials.