‘Done nothing for us’: Frank Carbone mulls Chris Bowen challenge

Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s political future is under threat with popular western Sydney Mayor Frank Carbone considering running against him at the next election.

Chris Bowen and Frank Carbone with a young child in 2015 at a local shopping mall opening. Picture: Timothy Clapin

Energy Minister Chris Bowen’s political future is under threat with popular local western Sydney Mayor Frank Carbone confirming to The Australian that he is considering running against the Labor cabinet minister at the next election.

The independent Fairfield Mayor, who broke with the Labor Party in 2012, has also confirmed that he is now seeking to recruit a network of independent candidates to contest federal Labor-held seats across western Sydney.

Mr Carbone and federal independent MP Dai Le, who was abandoned by the NSW Liberal Party, on Friday formally registered a cross-party new political clique with the Australian Electoral Commission on Friday called the Frank Carbone Western Sydney Community.

Mr Carbone told The Australian that he was not ruling out running against Mr Bowen, or another seat, in a contest that could cost Labor at the next election amid rumours that Mr Bowen was considering retiring from politics.

“Western Sydney community party has been established by local people, looking at opportunities to run in lower house seats and the Senate,” Mr Carbone told The Australian.

“I’m not ruling out running against Mr Bowen, or any other seat.

“They have done nothing for this area,” he said.

Mr Bowen retained the seat of McMahon in 2022 after a 2.9 per cent swing in the wake of the anti-Morrison wave.

However, it is still regarded as the more vulnerable of the safer western Labor seats.

Mr Carbone said he was still considering running against Mr Bowen, with Labor strategists concluding that Mr Bowen was at risk of losing the seat.

Mr Carbone has been courted by the Liberal Party to run as their candidate. Shadow Treasurer Angus Taylor is believed to have been in discussions with Mr Carbone about running as a Liberal candidate.

Mr Carbone is regarded as a popular local political identity with deep roots to the community and antagonistic views to the Labor Party, of which he was a former member.

The western Sydney-based party was also eyeing the Labor held seat of Werriwa, where Labor suffered an eight per cent primary swing against it at the 2022 election.

Ms Le won the seat of Fowler at the last election as a popular independent, taking the seat from the Labor Party.

The AEC had rejected Mr Carbone’s and Ms Le’s initial party registration because it had too many words.

It registered Frank Carbone Western Sydney Community, with the accepted use of the Frank Carbone and Dai Le Western Sydney Community.

“When people in western Sydney are travelling longer, are paying higher mortgages and higher costs than anyone else and no-one is listening, this is an area that has been neglected by federal politicians,” the Mayor said.

Mr Carbone confirmed that the new political party would not seek to secure alliances with Muslim-based political parties.