Liberal Dave Sharma wins preselection battle for Senate seat vacated by Marise Payne

Former Liberal MP Dave Sharma is set to re-enter the political frame after he came out on top of a tough preselection showdown for the Senate slot vacated by Marise Payne.

Former Ambassador to Israel and Wentworth MP Dave Sharma has won a tight preselection contest for former Senator Marise Payne’s vacant senate slot, in a face off against two former MPs on Sunday afternoon.

Former NSW transport minister Andrew Constance has faced another bitter defeat in his bid to enter Federal politics yet missing out on the spot. Sunday’s vote was the third time Mr Constance has failed to gain a seat in Federal Parliament after quitting NSW politics and triggering a by-election that delivered the seat of Bega to Labor.

Mr Sharma beat out the widely presumed frontrunner former NSW Transport Minister Andrew Constance in the final round of voting, 251 votes to 206.

Although Mr Constance won the initial vote count 135 votes to Shama’s 107, later rounds of voting saw huge preference flows from former ACT senator and right faction candidate Zed Seselja. Mr Seselja was eliminated after the third round of voting.

Party heavyweights including Peter Dutton and Tony Abbott backed different candidates in the nine contestant race with only 511 out of 800 party electors filing into Sydney’s Fullerton Hotel for a long day of speeches.

Dave Sharma when he was MP for Wentworth at his office. Picture: Renee Nowytarger

Senior party figures told the Daily Telegraph, Mr Sharma’s win was a big blow for factional bosses, with the right faction backing Mr Seselja and some of the moderates expecting Mr Constance to be a favourite.

A victorious Mr Sharma will take up the position of senator after a swearing in within weeks, taking his place in the Federal parliament.

The vote also saw first-time contender Monica Tudehope, the daughter of NSW MP Damien Tudehope throw her hat in the ring, with some senior Liberals saying it was time to learn the lessons from successive election defeats and move away from the ‘boys club’. The promise of new blood was not enough to get Ms Tudehope over the line, as she only secured 44 votes.

One senior Liberal insider said it was not surprising Mr Seselja was knocked out of the race and that he had flunked his speech, losing track of his thoughts.

Federal MP Angus Taylor pictured arriving at the Fullerton Hotel. Preselection for Liberal senate seat vacated by Marise Payne. Picture: Monique Harmer

Preselection candidate pictured Andrew Constance arriving at the Fullerton Hotel. He failed in his bid to return to politics. Picture: Monique Harmer

Another Liberal inside the room said they counted Mr Seselja had used the word ‘uh’ 47 times. Another blow came from questions from the floor, when a party heckler told him to go back to the ACT, asking why they should vote for someone who had lost their seat in another state.

Mr Seselja lost his senate seat in the ACT to David Pocock in the last Federal election.

Party insiders said Mr Sharma gave a strong speech, focusing on national security, the situation between Israel and Hamas as well as the cost of living.

Opposition leader Peter Dutton says newly selected Liberal Senator Dave Sharma will hold the Greens and others to account for their “rank anti-Semitism” in the wake of the Israel-Hamas war.

Mr Dutton said Mr Sharma’s entry to the Senate came at a “crucial time” given “events abroad and at home”.

“His diplomatic and foreign policy expertise and experience will lend considerable weight and wisdom to the public policy debate given the precarious circumstances in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Indo-Pacific,” Mr Dutton said.

“Dave will speak with moral courage and provide moral clarity as we grapple with unprecedented levels of anti-Semitism on our own shores following Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on Israel on 7 October.”

Mr Dutton said Mr Sharma would be a “voice of reason” in the Senate and help hold members of the Greens and others to account for their “rank anti-Semitism and shameful moral equivalence”.

“I look forward to Dave joining the Liberal Party Senate team, and I thank our brilliant candidates who ran for pre-selection,” he said.

Deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley welcomed Mr Sharma back to the federal party room.

Preselection candidate Monica Tudehope / Monique Harmer

Preselection candidate Zed Seselja. Picture: Monique Harmer

“Dave Sharma will bring a unique perspective to the Australian Senate,” she said.

“Dave’s keen foreign policy intellect will be particularly welcome given we are in the most dangerous set of geopolitical circumstances since the Second World War.

Over the past 20 years, Dave has sat in the Oval Office with American presidents, helped to broker international peace agreements and has first-hand experience on-the-ground in Israel as a former Ambassador – all vital experiences which put him in good stead to make a lofty contribution as a Senator for NSW.”

Ms Ley said she believed Mr Sharma, who was defeated in a by-election and an election by independent candidates, would be crucial in winning back the cohort of voters who abandoned the Liberal Party at the 2022 election.

“Dave is someone who very much appeals to that cohort of voters which we need to win in 2025, and I am looking forward to working with him to ensure we win back seats in the city, the suburbs and regions,” she said.

Originally published as Liberal Dave Sharma wins preselection battle for Senate seat vacated by Marise Payne